Sunday, November 3, 2024

Good evening:

Downtown Dallas residents and business owners are overwhelmingly happy with where they live and work, according to a recent perception survey conducted by Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI).

The results were shared at the nonprofit’s annual State of Downtown last Wednesday. Of those surveyed, 83% of residents said they are very satisfied with living Downtown, citing entertainment options, and quality of restaurants, culture and walkability. That is a 14% improvement over responses to the same question on DDI’s 2022 survey.

A whopping 94% of surveyed Downtown business owners said they are satisfied being in our urban core, with 81% telling us recruiting for employees is easy.

Among our challenges, homelessness was at the top of the list, with 48% of respondents saying the situation has gotten worse over the past year. The results come as DDI continues working with the City of Dallas and Housing Forward on a major initiative that has already housed more than 100 people.

The results were unveiled before a fascinating keynote conversation between DDI President & CEO Jennifer Scripps and interim Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. Read more from The Dallas Morning News.

Read The Survey Results

Read on for more on:

• Public safety preparations for Election Day.

• Major progress on Dallas commercial construction permitting.

• The long-awaited City Plan Commission hearing on continued operations of Downtown’s only drive through.

⚡ Highlights From Last Week’s Meetings of Interest:

— City leaders are contemplating broadening police hiring qualifications to allow for  some candidates without any college credits, or prior military or law enforcement experience. Under the proposed plan, people with a high school diploma or GED and 36 months of consecutive full-time employment could be eligible to become a Dallas police officer. The proposal comes amid police hiring challenges here and across the country. Read more.

Thanks to DDI's Nikia Summerlin, Urban Planning Manager, for monitoring hours of meetings every week and contributing to these summaries.

Email Nikia

📝 Memos of Interest:

— The Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue are coordinating around-the-clock monitoring, training, and rapid response plans in case of violence tied to Election Day, according to this memo. While no current credible threats have been detected, the Emergency Management & Crisis Response team is ready to activate if needed, maintaining a unified communication approach to keep the public informed.

— City Hall has cut commercial construction permitting turnaround by more than half, from 300-plus days a few years ago to 112 days, according to this memo. Other process improvements include efforts to close out nearly 10,000 “stale” permits that “have lingered in the permitting system, clogging workflows and skewing data outcomes.” Read more from The Dallas Morning News.

Check out all City Manager Memos here.

Meetings of Interest:Nov. 4 - 8, 2024

Watch City of Dallas Meetings Live

Monday, November 4

City Council Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee, 9 a.m., Kiest Recreation Center, 3081 S. Hampton Rd., Dallas, 75224

— A City-commissioned study recommends 90 locations for public Electric Vehicle charging stations, subject to funding availability, according to this briefing. The City emphasized sites with high commercial and multi-family housing density and proximity to major corridors and existing infrastructure, as noted in the slide above.

— This briefing covers how the Park & Recreation Department addresses homeless encampments on City parks and trails.

*Note this meeting is being held at Kiest Recreation Center. As part of the agenda, attendees are invited to the nearby softball field to “witness Dallas Park and Recreation’s unveiling of new electric equipment, showcasing the latest in sustainable technology for park maintenance,” according to this memo.

City Council Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— Dallas has 3,495 active short-term rental (STR) properties as of September, according to this briefing. The city collected over $4.1 million in Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) from June 2023 to August 2024, but enforcement of STR registration and zoning restrictions is currently halted due to a legal injunction.

Tuesday, November 5

City Council Workforce, Education, and Equity Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

Thursday, November 7

Dallas City Plan Commission, 9:30 a.m. Briefing, 12:30 p.m. Public Hearing, Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— Item 11 is the proposed renewal of a Specific Use Permit for a controversial drive-through service to continue operating at the Downtown McDonald’s at Commerce and Jackson streets.

As the Dallas Business Journal reported earlier this year, some in Downtown believe the drive through should be shuttered because it is inconsistent with the vision for a walkable urban district. Still, City staff recommends City Plan Commissioners approve the permit for a five-year period with changes including:

• Enhancements such as pedestrian pavers and raised pollinator gardens with native plants.

• Screening along South Griffin Street to improve aesthetics and pedestrian safety.

• Marked pedestrian crosswalks and specific entry/exit adjustments, which have been evaluated as non-disruptive to local traffic flow.

The staff report notes that while a drive through may meet DDI’s 360 Plan goal of having a diverse mix of services and retail, it conflicts with the plan goal of phasing out drive throughs as a primary use within Downtown. Read more.

***

— Items 27, 28 and 29 seek approvals of Certificates of Appropriateness for building signage on the new Modera St. Paul mixed use development by Mill Creek located at 400 South St. Paul Street.

Dallas Park & Recreation Board, 10 a.m., 6FN Conference Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

Did we miss anything? Do you have any questions? Just want to talk about meetings? Let me know.

Best,

Scott Goldstein

Communications & Government Relations Consultant

Downtown Dallas, Inc.