It’s not often that a neighborhood association gets the chance to deal with a major Dallas-area real estate investment firm, and even less often that the relationship ends happily on both sides.
Luckily for the Royal Highlands Homeowner’s Association (RHHA), its recent collaboration with Trammell Crow ended not only peacefully but also productively: Thanks to their teamwork, a right-of-way section of the DART line now sports a brand new row of 58 Eastern Red Cedar trees.
Trammell Crow is involved in construction projects around Dallas, and as part of a city ordinance geared to replace trees lost during construction, the company basically has two options: Either replace the number of inches of tree removed during construction, or pay into a tree fund.
“We’d much rather beautify a neighborhood and see the trees actually planted,” explains Dupree Scovell, Trammell Crow’s liaison for the project.
Royal Highlands residents agreed. After hearing about the potential for a tree project through the Lake Highlands Area Improvement Association’s Susan Morgan, the members of RHHA’s beautification committee and RHHA president Mary Kent knew they had the perfect spot for a little fresh greenery — along White Rock Trail just north of Church Road near Wildcat Stadium and the Lake Highlands Freshman Center.
A few phone calls and a little planning later, the two parties struck a deal. RHHA would pay for the expansion of the irrigation system in the area along White Rock Trail, and Trammell Crow would buy and plant the trees, take care of the contractors, and guarantee the trees for two years (which is a good thing, because when you plant trees in the middle of Dallas summer, you’re likely to lose a few).
DART paired with the investment firm, chipping in to cover all the little extras along the way. With all the different people working on the project (Scovell estimates 30, while Kent just says there were “a whole lot”), you’d expect a few bumps, bruises and miscommunications along the way.
According to Scovell, though, everything went, well, beautifully.
“Something like this, between big companies and neighborhood associations, it’s rare, but it’s been fantastic. You just don’t find neighborhood projects like this.”
