12 April 18 - 24, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents the city purchased the property. The group was reestablished in May 2023, in- creasing membership from 10 to 19 and adding representatives from Dallas ISD, a nearby library, a local elementary school and the nonprofit United Way of Metro- politan Dallas. The group convened multiple meetings with experts, City Council members and other stakeholders. Members of the group were interested in either demolishing the old hospital and replacing it with market- rate single-family housing, or including no provision in the development plan for af- fordable or senior housing at all. The work group visited two other sites: a permanent supportive housing community in Dallas and a multi-phase retail development in Fort Worth with over 500,000 square feet of retail, grocery and restaurant space. The group expressed interest in replicating ei- ther model at the Hampton Road site. City staff presented three options for the site at a Housing and Homelessness Solu- tions Committee meeting last week. Option one is to use the space for its original in- tended purpose, providing permanent and supportive housing for the homeless. Op- tion two would subdivide the property and use the lots for a different public purpose. Option three is the sale of the property with potential deed restrictions. The funds from the sale could then be used for another proj- ect. There are pros and cons to each option. Option one would serve the original pur- pose for the property, with the opportunity to add items like 100 housing units, educational space and hospice space. It also aligns with national best practices of providing perma- nent supportive housing to address home- lessness. However, option one would require the property to be rezoned and would not in- clude single-family residential units, which is what some in the community want. Option two is more aligned with commu- nity preferences for the site to have a hous- ing and community-oriented focus. It would allow for a mixed-use housing development that could include supportive housing, a re- source center for the community to provide job training, employment search services and meeting space. But this plan doesn’t fully align with the city’s goal of investing more into facilities to combat homelessness. Option three would involve sale of the property with the proceeds to fund various city projects. However, this plan also fails to address the need for permanent supportive housing and does not align with the city’s goal of investing more in homeless facilities. City staff recommended option two, but not everyone is on board. As reported by the local real estate news site Candy’s Dirt, Dallas City Council mem- ber Cara Mendelsohn said at a recent Hous- ing and Homelessness Solutions Committee meeting, “Option two is a big mess. … It’s lacking focus.” Zarin Gracey, who represents council District 3, where 2929 S. Hampton Road is located, said he appreciates option two but he wants to hear what residents think about all three proposals. “I want us to openly talk about all three of these options and then from there, develop a timeline around one of those options,” he said. Dallas County Commissioner Elba Gar- cia, who represents the area, said in a De- cember letter to Gracey and other council members that she is opposed to “any type of homeless facility” at the site, according to the Morning News. She would instead like to see single-family homes built there. “Please take into consideration that Dallas County will not contribute any funding towards a homeless facility or services at this loca- tion,” Garcia wrote in her December letter. If he had to choose between the three op- tions, Raymond Crawford, a District 3 resi- dent, told the Observer he would recommend selling the site. But he has a few proposals of his own for the property. He looks at the site as a blank canvas that could be used to elevate southern Dallas. He has four ideas for the property that he sent in an email to City Council members, city staff and Dallas County Commissioner Garcia. “I hope that these proposals will spur city staff to think outside the box with an open mind rather than trying to fit an already de- cided agenda into a property in which area residents from three council districts have their voices of opposition on record,” his email said. All of his proposals involve creating an el- evated pedestrian bridge on the property to feed into the Oak Cliff Nature Preserve. Crawford’s first proposal calls for the city to deed a portion of the property to Nolen Grand Apartments, which provides housing for people 55 and older. The additional land could be used for more senior housing units at the apartment complex, he said. The prop- erty could also include additional green space and new parking for pickleball courts in the area. This plan would move the Kiest Park pickleball courts to the Hampton Road site. His second proposal would involve relo- cating the Dallas Police Department’s south- west substation from its current location on West Illinois Avenue to a parcel of land on the South Hampton Road property. This would provide DPD with a larger space and potentially lead to more positive interac- tions between police and residents in the area, Crawford said. “I thought, why not treat them [DPD] right, get them more in- volved with the community,” he said, Plan three would have the city find a de- veloper to build market-rate single-family townhomes or condos on the site, essen- tially creating a new neighborhood. Lastly, Crawford’s fourth proposal would create more green space and parking, and the city would relocate the Kiest Park Ten- nis Center to the property and increase the number of courts from 16 to 20. Crawford said he hasn’t yet heard back from anyone with the city or county about his proposals. To him, it seems like the city is de- termined to move forward with its own plan “despite the negativity that it’s gotten from res- idents and the opposition from Elba Garcia.” Now, city staff is working to reconvene the community work group to identify site needs, host informational meetings and create a site development webpage for community inter- action. Whatever proposal the city goes with, the plan is to start looking for a developer for the project by the second quarter of 2025. The developer should be approved by City Council by 2026 at the latest. Unfair Park from p10 >> p14 The city of garland presents The city of garland presents VISITGARLANDTX.COM June 7 SONNY LANDRETH with JIMMY WALLACE AND THE STRATOBLASTERS JULY 5 LITTLE TEXAS with Rachel Stacy may 3 LA ALIANZA NORTEÑA TELL US WHAT YOU THINK TELL US WHAT YOU THINK YES, I’LL TAKE THE SURVEY YES, I’LL TAKE THE SURVEY TAKE OUR AUDIENCE SURVEY AND LET US KNOW HOW WE ARE DOING SCAN HERE