7 April 23 - 29, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents was very much like we were criminals. Like we were trying to do something wrong, that we did this on purpose,” said Erika. A spokesperson for the town of Prosper confirmed to the Observer information about the South Parvin property’s zoning. According to the town, the Mitchells will not be able to initiate a rezoning effort for the victorian home property because they are not the official property owners, just renters. A rezoning case would have to be initated by the property owner. Additionally, the town maintains that during 2025 discussions with Tanner and Erika Mitchell, a shipping operation was not discussed as the intended use for the prop- erty. The spokesperson said that the Mitch- ells were informed that the South Parvin property was not zoned for retail uses – which the couple confirmed – but that the business owners could use the building to stage plants in a “gallery” type display. “The business owners were told what uses would be permitted on the property, and the process for obtaining the appropri- ate Certificate of Occupancy. These regula- tions are clearly explained in the Town’s zoning ordinance,” the town spokesperson said. Small Business Friendly? In the recording, planning officials tell the Mitchells that they could attempt to re- zone the Victorian-style house — which they still have a four-year lease on — to al- low for shipping, but that the planning and zoning committee would likely rec- ommend the request be denied. Rezoning would also likely take months, allowing fines to accumulate. “[Rezoning] would have to go to council and they’d have to give you approval,” one planner says. “I think the main issue is that it’s incompatible with the surrounding area.” The officials added that complaints were filed against the half-dozen trash cans that the shipping business required. After some pushback, the city acknowledged that there is no limit on the number of trash cans a business can have, though they sug- gested that Erika and Tanner keep fewer bins at the property and transport any left- over garbage to their storefront on Broad- way Street by car. In the days after that meeting, Erika and Tanner attempted to mediate the situation with Prosper officials. Ultimately, though, they felt that the conversations were “delay- ing the inevitable,” and that the solutions of- fered weren’t fixes tailored to a small team with a tight budget. Staring down the barrel of thousands of dollars in fines, it became clear to them that Famous in Oregon, the plant shop they’d started six years prior, was on the chopping block. While the store is what rooted the Mitchells in the downtown Prosper com- munity, it accounts for only about 10% of their overall business. “We were pouring into the community. This was our contribution,” Erika said. “Our online sales, that’s definitely what keeps the business alive. But it felt like the store and the people that inhabit the store … that was the heartbeat.” They have moved everything from the house on the edge of downtown over to the downtown storefront, which will now serve as their new shipping facility while the house property sits empty. The experience was especially “traumatic” for their staff, Er- ika said, who suddenly found themselves in an “unstable” environment. The closure has prompted outcry, both among the Tanner the planter community and the Prosper business community. The Mitchells say they’ve heard the city has been inundated with pleas to allow businesses to remain open, and on Facebook, some small businesses have posted sample emails to send to the Mayor and other city leaders. One such example, published by the busi- ness Fur Services Fur Pets, has been shared 75 times. “It feels like such a cheap ending for such a classy place. She [the store] deserved so much better than that,” Erika said. “We know we will never be investing in Prosper again.” Tanner Mitchell Tanner and Erika Mitchell opened the Famous in Oregon plant shop in downtown Prosper during the pandemic.
