Dallas’ City Plan Commission today Thursday will consider an amendment to Lake Highlands Town Center’s planned development (PD) to place a restaurant with a drive-thru lane at the southeast corner of Walnut Hill and Wildcat Way.
Back in 2007, the City established the town center as a PD. Zoning is subject to a conceptual plan, and City Plan Commission must approve additions prior to the issuance of any building permits, per the 2007 agreement.
At this point, all we know about the request is that it’s for a dining establishment that includes drive-thru service within sub-area C of the LHTC PD (PD 758).
In 2016 our Plan Commission correspondent (among other things) Sam Gillespie explained the PD, writing that “PDs create a framework for developers to plan large projects and generally give them some flexibility as the site and real estate markets change and evolve.
“After a PD is set up, developers have to come before the commission with development plans to make sure that the plans meet at least the letter of the PD, and if they do, the commission is ‘obligated’ to approve. It’s a check on the developer’s promises to meet the standards in the PD. Developers aren’t burdened with going back to the City to rezone sections of the property in piecemeal fashion as the project gets built out as long as they play in the defined limits of the PD sandbox.”
For comprehensive history of the Lake Highlands Town Center, I direct you to our November 2016 cover story.
I’ve reached the developer who put in the application for the restaurant, who has promised to get back with me as soon as he has a chance. If we learn more, you will be the first to know (If I can help it).
