​On January 22, 2025 Dallas City Council held a public hearing and approved a zoning change for this area. The ordinance is currently pending.

Background

On November 21, 2024, City Plan Commission (CPC) held a public hearing and consideration to determine the appropriate zoning for the area. City Plan Commission unanimously approved and recommended staff proposed zoning change to City Council. Prior to the CPC unanimous approval, on April 4, 2019, the CPC authorized a city-initiated zoning review for the area generally bounded by Franklin Street on the west, the alley of north Kingston Street on the north, a line running north/south west of the alley west of Hampton Road on the east, and Brandon Street on the south. The area, which hereby referred as Jimtown Neighborhood, is approximately 10.37 acres.

The Jimtown Neighborhood Authorized Hearing is part of the implementation of the West Oak Cliff Area Plan (WOCAP), an area plan that was unanimously adopted by the CPC on September 15, 2022. The plan provides the long-range vision for land use, urban design, transportation, mobility, infrastructure, open space, and community concerns around gentrification, displacement, and revitalization in the West Oak Cliff area. WOCAP identified several focus areas in the community that need rezoning including a portion of the Jimtown. Thus, the purpose of this authorized hearing is to implement appropriate zoning amendments for the area of Jimtown that is currently zoned MF-2(A), Multifamily district 2.

SCOPE & OBJECTIVE

The Jimtown authorized hearing area spans 10.37 acres and predominantly features single-family homes dating back to the 1920s, along with two multifamily properties built in 1984. Despite being zoned entirely as MF-2(A) (multifamily), this zoning designation does not match with the area's prevailing land use. During WOCAP’s community meetings, residents voiced a strong desire to preserve the neighborhood's unique single-family character. Based on those discussions, proposed amendments include allowing accessory dwelling units while prohibiting duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and townhomes due to constraints posed by lot sizes in this area.  Thus, the objective of this authorized hearing is to explore implementing the following  WOCAP recommendations:

• Rezone the existing MF-2(A) zoning district (Authorized Hearing Case No. Z189-240) in Jimtown bounded generally by Clarendon, Franklin, Brandon, and Hampton to not allow for multifamily development unless already existing. Through a Conservation District or another base zoning category, instead permit only single-family and accessory dwelling units by-right. As a part of this rezoning, explore urban design standards for new residential construction to align future designs with the surrounding neighborhood context.

Jimtown Authorized Hearing boundaries map

THE PROCESS

An authorized hearing is a City-initiated rezoning. The purpose of an authorized hearing is usually to determine the most appropriate zoning for an area. It typically considers zoning, development standards, and other appropriate regulations to ensure land uses and development standards that are compatible with existing and future development in an area.

The authorized hearing process provides residents, property owners, business owners and other stakeholders the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process regarding the zoning, development standards and other regulations in a specific area. The process emphasizes community involvement and ensures that the City of Dallas does not make any changes to zoning without input from stakeholders. Typically, the authorized hearing process involves

• Reviewing current zoning and land uses in an area
  
• Addressing land use incompatibilities and inconsistencies
  
• Developing recommendations for zoning changes

The following chart describes the steps involved in authorized hearings:

TIMELINE

The following is the proposed timeline. Please note that the dates may change depending on the circumstances.

STAFF CONTACT

Sef Okoth, AICP
Chief Planner
214.671.9336 | seferinus.okoth@dallas.gov