Mockingbird Community Church near Glencoe Park. Photo by Renee Umsted.
The City Plan Commission unanimously approved a local developer’s plan to build single-family homes at the corner of Ellsworth and McMillan where a church has stood for 75 years.
Mark Weatherford wants to build 21 single-family homes in a shared-access development similar to Pine Tree Court, which he developed on an adjacent site purchased from the church in 2013. Weatherford and land use consultant Rob Baldwin presented the plan to Glencoe Park neighbors in a public meeting held at the church on Oct. 10.
The church site is zoned for duplexes. Weatherford is asking for a multifamily classification, MF-2(a), for more density. But in a zoning twist, he’s providing deed restrictions against multifamily use. He’s also offering to limit access to Ellsworth and McMillan to two drives per street, construct only 21 homes, cap height at two stories, limit short-term rental lodging and provide a documented tree-preservation plan.
Baldwin highlighted the differences between Weatherford’s proposal and what another developer could do “by right” under the current duplex zoning. Contrasts include more units, driveways and height, and the specter of Airbnbs if developed as duplexes.
Greg Byrd, the pastor of Mockingbird Community Church since 2012, told the plan commission that the once-active church cannot maintain the building with a dwindling membership. Byrd also said his favorable prior experience with Weatherford on Pine Tree Court led him to an agreement to sell to Weatherford without hiring a real estate agent for a broader marketing effort.
Six Glencoe Park residents spoke in opposition to the project. No neighbors showed up in person or online to support the proposal.
Richard Harper from Ellsworth said the proposed plan was “inconsistent” with 80% of the surrounding property.
Camille Gilchriest from Penrose pointed out that the project falls short on three goals of the city’s comprehensive housing policy. She noted that the project cannot be considered affordable housing, that greater fair-housing goals are not advanced and that patterns of segregation are not overcome.
But if pictures are worth a thousand words, a video is priceless. Ellie Adelman, also from Ellsworth, shared a video she took as she was driving on Ellsworth from the current Pine Tree project to its termination at the northwest corner of Glencoe Park. Shot on a rainy October day, the video shows water draining from Pine Tree to Ellsworth, eventually reaching above curb height and flooding the western end of street. She said she believes developing the project with duplexes “by right” would result in less runoff and supports keeping the current zoning intact.
The proposed site plan includes 21 single-family units with limited access from Ellsworth. Courtesy of Baldwin Planning.
After a Q&A from plan commission members, District 14 Plan Commission member Melissa Kingston made motions to close the public hearing and to approve the project with two amendments — one to require permeability of hard surfaces where the fire department would allow and one regarding tree preservation.
Kingston acknowledged not everybody is going to be happy with her decision to support the project.
“There is not a perfect answer for how this property should be used,” Kingston said, noting there are other examples of churches with declining congregations located on real estate desirable for other uses.
“At the end of the day, it’s my belief that shared access is a better way to go,” Kingston said.
She said she had 31 properties “in the area” reach out to her and support the project and eight properties contact her in opposition. In the “notification zone,” where property owners receive mailed notices from the City for a potential zoning change, she had 20 owners in support and four owners against.
In comparing the “by right” zoning with the single-family proposal, she noted the possibility of duplexes built to three stories with rooftop decks, short-term rentals of the duplexes and more curb cuts in the duplex configuration.
Kingston said Adelman’s video didn’t properly show other properties’ contribution to the runoff, and the Mill Creek drainage-improvement project should help with current Ellsworth flooding.
“I just don’t agree that duplex is better,” Kingston said.
All other Plan Commissioners supported Kingston’s motion and the rezone was unanimously approved.
Next stop for Weatherford is the Dallas City Council, where a final determination of Pine Tree version 2.0 will be made. The earliest date for the council hearing is Dec. 14.
