Greenville Avenue neighborhoods south of Mockingbird Avenue have won an important, if partial, victory at City Council.

Acting on a motion by Councilman Glenn Box, the Council modified plans proposed by the City’s Department of Transportation to deal with the expected traffic increase on Lower Greenville and other area streets during North Central Expressway reconstruction.

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The DOT’s plans would have added a reversible third lane to Greenville and would have made the Matilda Bridge two-way during rush hour.

Local residents and businesses believed the changes would increase traffic accidents and harm Lower Greenville businesses.

Even though the Council shelved these components of the plan, other aspects remain under study and could return to the Council in late summer.

Mayor Annette Strauss appointed East Dallas resident Michael Jung to the City Plan Commission, filling a vacancy left by Dr. Syd Reagan’s resignation.

Jung, an attorney with the firm of Strasburger and Price, lives in the West White Rock neighborhood and is former president of the Dallas Homeowners League.

City action on the “D-1” (“dry” overlay) district proposed for a large portion of Old East Dallas has been postponed indefinitely, allowing time to analyze legal ramifications.

The planned D-1 district would classify alcohol-related businesses within the area as “non-conforming uses”, requiring a Special Use Permit for continuation or allowing termination by application to the Board of Adjustment.

A similar dry overlay in the South Dallas/Fair Park area was challenged by a merchants’ group in state district court on grounds that a city (despite its zoning power) cannot enforce stricter regulation of alcohol-related uses than is called for under state law.

The City of Dallas is expected to appeal the district court’s ruling, which froze enforcement of the South Dallas dry overlay.

Because of the uncertainty, the City Attorney’s office and planning staff recommended to the Plan Commission that adoption of other such districts be put on hold until the courts determine their enforceability.

Similar issues concerning local vs. state regulation of alcohol sales have been raised in Texas courts and were linked to Gov. Ann Richards’ recent veto of a state legislature bill overriding the Irving City Council and permitting liquor sales in Texas Stadium.

Further developments are expected later this summer.

A group of East Dallas residents and City staff are working on a proposed Gaston Avenue Historic District. The action would link several historic areas and help preserve remaining area Victorian and Prairie-style architecture.

This process is likely to continue throughout the year, although a Plan Commission hearing is scheduled August 15. For information, contact Donna Moorman of the Planning Department at 670-7001.

The Plan Commission has called a public hearing to consider amendments to the Bryan Area Planned Development District.

The Bryan Area stretches along Ross Avenue and Live Oak from Bryan Place to Little Asia. City planners hope to foster eclectic, mixed-use “urban village” development that builds on the area’s various land uses and cultural diversity.

Most planned development districts are periodically reviewed in a continuing effort to ensure goals are achieved. Residents interested in the Bryan Area district should contact Chuck Russell at the City’s Planning Department at 670-4189.

The Board of Adjustment has approved the first variance to the Lower Greenville “Modified Delta” Overlay District.

The ordinance, intended to be part of a long-term solution to the parking shortage along Lower Greenville, eliminates “delta credit” parking requirement bonuses when a use in the area is discontinued or a space remains vacant more than 12 months.

The Lower Greenville Antique Mall, 2010 Greenville, requested the variance in an effort to keep the site’s “delta credits.”

The approval of this variance could be more significant if similar variances are requested in the future.