When discussing the proposed zoning changes around Bishop and Davis, East Kessler Park Neighborhood Association president John McCall suggested that his OOCCL colleagues look to residents around Lower Greenville for help. "I’m guessing that folks on Lower Greenville have been down this road before," McCall said. He also pointed out that Lower Greenville has a Whole Foods, despite the lack of zoning that would allow 4- and 5-story mixed-use development.
No doubt that residents of Greenland Hills (more commonly known as the M Streets) and the Belmont neighborhoods have waged many battles against the congestion that the bars and nightclubs along Lower Greenville bring into their communities. In many places, it’s resulted in resident parking only zones (something that the study’s facilitator, Larry Good, has suggested for residential neighborhoods like Winnetka Heights, if the proposal passes) as well as a protest from a few against allowing businesses in Lower Greenville’s only residential/retail mixed-use property — Cityville and Greenville and Ross — to remain open past 4 p.m.
As a result, most of those retail spots are still vacant. And one more thing I should note: Lower Greenville is losing its Whole Foods to a newer, bigger store in Lakewood, and the grocer hasn’t been able to lease the space, according to a story this week in the DMN. Right now, Whole Foods plans to use the grocery store site on Lower Greenville as storage. I’m sure the residents there will love that.
I don’t know that comparisons can truly be made between what has happened on Lower Greenville and the proposal on the table in Oak Cliff, simply because every neighborhood is unique. I just thought McCall’s parallel was interesting, and that Oak Cliff neighbors will have a lot to think about as far as what they want next door, and what the best way to go about that will be.
Speaking of, the OOCCL has links to meeting notes from the last few neighborhood meetings on its home page, and of course, the big community meeting is this coming Monday night at 6:30 p.m. at Methodist Hospital’s Hitt Auditorium. That’s when the committee will present its latest zoning proposal, based on all of the input from recent meetings and from neighbors who have e-mailed their opinions.
