The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses
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Design star
Dona Rosene Interiors
Dona Rosene recently was awarded Best of Houzz 2013 by houzz.com, a popular interactive remodeling and design website that boasts about 11 million monthly users. This is the second year in a row that houzz.com has honored Dona Rosene Interiors, which Rosene operates out of her Lake Highlands home. She says the site is invaluable to her work and that she recommends anyone interested in home improvement or decorating check out the Houzz site.
Dona Rosene Interiors, 214.769.1059
More convenience
Following the November razing of a longstanding do-it-yourself carwash, a new Kroger convenience store and fueling station is up and running. The new station is located at the southeast corner of Northwest Highway and Lake Highlands Drive (Plano Road to the north), catty-corner from the Northwest Highway Kroger store.
Kroger, 10677 E. Northwest Highway, 214.553.0607
Market watch
Fans of the White Rock Local Market will be happy to know a second location, with different hours of operation, will open nearby this spring. The original, a twice-a-month pop-up market in front of The Green Spot on North Buckner, is wildly popular with Lake Highlands’ and East Dallas’ healthy and environmentally conscious shoppers, so it’s no surprise that co-founder and Old Lake Highlands resident Sarah Perry set her sights on more. The second market will open first and third Saturdays of the month at Lakeside Baptist Church on Garland Road beginning March 9. The Buckner market is second and fourth Saturdays.
White Rock Local Market, 702 N. Buckner Blvd, 9150 Garland
Area improvement
A volunteer committee working on improvements to the Skillman-LBJ area met with neighborhood residents at a January meeting. Key committee member Tip Housewright gave a presentation on the current state of the intersection and the committee’s goals: safety, beautification and economic viability. The biggest proposed change will be an attempt to improve the traffic flow for the surface streets, especially Skillman and Audelia, and reduce confusion for drivers. Once that is accomplished, the committee hopes the area can become a place where people will want to go, rather than a place they want to avoid, he said. Once the input from this meeting has been compiled, Advocate writer Ellen Raff reports, the committee plans a follow-up public meeting, tentatively scheduled for April. A recommendation may reach the City Plan Commission in late 2013 or early 2014.
Tree trauma
Oncor’s director of customer operations, Charles Elk, faced a group of angry neighborhood residents in February after the electricity company cut down trees in and around Arbor Park in Lake Highlands. The trees, at least 30, according to Advocate writer Carol Toler, were removed or trimmed to ensure there would be no disruption in service due to ice, wind or other bad weather. “The purpose, at all costs, is to preserve these lines,” Elk told the crowd. “The lines cost thousands of dollars.” The group wondered aloud whether Oncor had the right to remove trees along the park/easement boundary line, but Dallas Park Board member Robin Norcross, map in hand, confirmed that the felled trees did lie within Oncor’s transmission right-of-way.
More business bits
1. The Mexican fusion restaurant Boca Chica is slated to open this month at The Shops at Park Lane.
Boca Chica, 8160 Park Lane
2. 20 Feet Seafood Joint is now open at Peavy and Garland.
20 Feet Seafood Joint, 1160 Peavy Road, 972.707.7442
3. Hope’s Clothing and Consignment, benefitting Austin Street Center of Dallas, is open in Casa Linda Plaza.
Hope’s Clothing and Consignment, 9440 Garland, 214.421.0912
4. Animal Allies of Texas, a nonprofit animal rescue group, also opened a storefront at Casa Linda Plaza.
Animal Allies of Texas, 972.967.2266
