The Dallas City Council is expected to vote on rezoning the Hampton Road / Clarendon Drive business district to allow for residential development on Wednesday.
The plan would increase walkability, prohibit new drive-through businesses, encourage mixed-use development along the corridor, and allow for small multi-family developments.
For decades, the corridor of Hampton Road and Clarendon Drive has been home to a variety of small businesses, and some worried it will lead to displacement and gentrification.
The proposal is part of the larger West Oak Cliff Area Plan (WOCAP) the city unanimously approved in 2022. District 1 City Council member Chad West, who represents West Oak Cliff and served on the City Plan Commission at the time it considered WOCAP, said it evolved from surveys and comments from thousands of residents.
In a statement to KERA, he said three neighborhood associations bordering Hampton-Clarendon have submitted letters of support for rezoning.
“My job as Councilmember is to listen to the neighbors who actually live by Hampton-Clarendon, and they have told me through WOCAP and neighborhood association letters that something needs to be done in this corridor,” West said.
According to a press release, more than 100 residents, small business owners, and supporters are expected to gather today for a press conference organized by La Alianza of Hampton–Clarendon to oppose the city-initiated rezoning proposal. Following the event, attendees will fill the Dallas City Council chambers ahead of the 1:00 p.m. vote on the issue.
