Sprouts by Kenny Eliason for Unsplash
A survey asking for community input regarding a potential Sprouts grocery store development at the corner of Hampton Road and Fort Worth Avenue garnered 1,607 responses.
The data, which was provided to The Advocate by City Council member Chad West, was available to the community for 22 days, and of the 1,607 responses, 1,480 came from people who live within 3 miles of the proposed site development.
In order to calculate results based on respondent proximity to the site, surveyors weighed data by giving respondents who lived within a mile radius of the site a 3 point vote, respondents who live within a 2 mile radius a 2 point vote, and respondents who lived within a 3 mile radius a 1 point vote.
The following data is weighed using that point system.
During the last few months, the community has voiced concerns in neighborhood meetings over issues such as lighting and lack of grocery store options, and the project has faced pushback from the city planning commission regarding their proposed rezoning plan. All of these issues were addressed on the survey, which allowed responses of very important, somewhat important, somewhat unimportant and not important.
Top priorities voiced by the survey were parking lot maintenance, which received 3,747 more votes for very or somewhat important than somewhat or not important, and environmentally friendly, which received 3,559 more for very or somewhat important.
In the developers plan, the planned grocery store would sit further off the road than current zoning allows. The Dallas City Planning Commission initially denied the request for a change to the lot’s zoning, so now it must be overruled by a city council supermajority.
In the survey, respondents were asked whether the lot should adhere to the current zoning in place, and the topic received a nearly even split of votes.
1,831 votes said maintaining the current zoning is very or somewhat important, compared to 1,918 who said the issue is somewhat unimportant or not important.
Later on in the survey, respondents were directly asked if they support the request to amend the current zoning, to which the response was nearly 4-1 in favor. While respondents could respond to the issue with a “maybe,” maybe votes were evenly split between yes and no for the final tally.
3,053 votes were in support of the zoning amendment, and 804 were against.
While developers have been working with Sprouts for plans for a grocery store, the rezoning request does not legally ensure a Sprouts would be onsite. When asked about the importance of a Sprouts or similar organic grocer being onsite, 3,444 said the issue is very or somewhat important.
When asked whether or not they were satisfied with current grocery store options in North Oak Cliff, somewhat or very dissatisfied received 2,445 more votes than somewhat or very satisfied.
West says now that the survey has been finalized, the issue is ready to take its next steps.
The survey results have been used to set “goal posts” for the developer, Vista Property Co., to meet, which West says will prioritize neighborhood feedback while also alleviating changing political pressures surrounding the issue.
The first goal post is a Good Neighbor Agreement which will be negotiated between the developer and representatives of Steven Park Estates, Stevens Park Village and the Fort Worth Avenue Development Group. This agreement will reflect items such as parking lot, drive through and landscaping maintenance, and will need to be negotiated by December 31, 2023.
The second goal post details that environmental enhancements negotiated by the City Plan Commission will be incorporated into the plan.
Third, the parking lot lighting will be required to reduce excess lighting from pointing towards the nearby homes. While lighting concerns can be addressed in the good neighbor agreement, the specific goal post will offer assurance that lighting will not be harsh and irksome for the nearby homes.
The fourth goal post is still flexible, but regards reworking the planned restaurant space along Hampton Road to better reflect feedback gathered by the survey.
West says if these four goal posts are agreed upon by the end of the day on Dec. 13, he will move forward with the appropriate motion at the Dec. 14 city council meeting.
If the four goal posts are still in debate by the evening of Dec. 13, however, West will push the issue to January 2023, so as not to interfere with the holidays and new year.
