Conceptual drawing of Catherine/Pierce commercial area courtesy of Dallas’ Department of Planning and Urban Design.
Elmwood isn’t the only place in our neighborhood with a commercial node at the center of a residential area.
A streetcar line served residents of North Cliff for several decades, starting in the late 1920s, and a few one-story commercial buildings on Catherine at Pierce served commuters.
The buildings have been largely vacant since the 1970s.
The property owner has expressed interest in rehabilitating the buildings, “but existing zoning presents challenges to their redevelopment,” the West Oak Cliff Area Plan draft states.
The plan’s first draft recommends preserving this 5.2-acre neighborhood center, which also includes a church, 10 houses and a vacant lot.
The North Cliff neighborhood desires for this portion of the neighborhood to serve as a stronger neighborhood node in the future. First, there is a desire to preserve the historic commercial structures at Pierce and Catherine, if possible, and enable them to redevelop into a walkable neighborhood center with retail uses such as dry cleaners and small cafes/ restaurants or personal service uses such as art studios and low-traffic offices.
Neighbors also suggested community uses for the buildings, such as a tool-lending library, maker spaces or meeting rooms.
“Lastly, there is a desire for outdoor recreation space such as a community garden or playground to be developed in this area,” the draft states.
Infrastructure
Plans to reuse the buildings would require infrastructure improvements to include bringing sidewalks and curb cuts up to Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
Sidewalks should be improved, and paved parking spaces should be added around the commercial node to encourage its reuse, the draft states.
… the public realm in front of the existing commercial structures should be designed to include wider sidewalks to allow for potential patio seating for future retail, new crosswalks at Catherine and Pierce, street trees to enhance shade and placemaking, pedestrian lighting, and a small public plaza or outdoor gathering area, if space permits.
Photos by Rachel Stone
Zoning
Reusing the buildings would also require a zoning change. North Cliff became a conservation district in 1996. It’s possible to obtain a special-use permit from the City of Dallas to use the commercial buildings for neighborhood services, such as a dry cleaner, barbershop or fitness studio. But restaurants are not allowed.
Here’s what the draft recommends:
… amend the zoning to allow for art galleries and studios, personal service offices and restaurants (alcohol sales by special use permit), in addition to existing permitted uses. Maintain existing requirements for height and setbacks.
The draft also recommends allowing accessory dwelling units, single rear apartments of 700 square feet or less.
Easing parking requirements around the commercial node is also recommended in the draft.
The first draft of the West Oak Cliff Area Plan identifies several neighborhood focus areas. The Advocate has been walking our neighbors through all of them, starting with Elmwood’s commercial district and the Tyler/Vernon Station area. This is part three.
Read the draft plan and give feedback here.
The City of Dallas Office of Planning and Urban Design emphasizes that this is a draft, and staff will continue to meet with neighborhood groups over the next six weeks or so to work out details of the next draft. None of this has been decided. The deadline for neighbors to comment on the plan is May 10.
