Near East Dallas: New Henderson Ave. Developments

[BGM]

Just received:

Fellow Neighbors,

We have confirmed the clubhouse at the newly opened Belmont Apartments for our June meeting this coming Wednesday (06/16/2010) at 7:00 PM. The main entrance and leasing office for the Belmont Apartments is located at the northwest corner of Belmont and Bennett Avenue, and their clubhouse is located behind the leasing office. The address is 2500 Bennett Street, and this should be a nice opportunity for everyone in the neighborhood to take a peak inside this quality development, which replaced four blocks of rather blighted apartment buildings in the last year.

www.thebelmontapts.com

We will have representatives from the Dallas Police Department present at the meeting to update us on criminal activity in the area over the course of the last two months, as well as progress in the five priority areas we identified and discussed at the May Crime Watch Committee Meeting, and our Community Prosecutor, Coy McCullar should also be present to address code related issues and initiatives.

Our guest speaker for the June meeting will be Jennifer Hiromoto, a Chief Planner in the City of Dallas' Department of Sustainable Design and Construction (http://www.dallascityhall.com//development_services/index.html), and an experienced staff member who has frequently been assigned to zoning and board of adjustment cases in PD 462, the zoning district that governs the length of Henderson Avenue from US-75 to Ross Avenue. Jennifer will be able to catch us up to speed on the role that zoning has in determining how land is used and developed in the City of Dallas, and more specifically how the zoning in our neighborhood has influenced its growth in the last decade, as well as how that zoning is likely to shape the future for our area.

More information on PD-462 can be downloaded at the following two web links:
Ordinance: http://www.dallascityattorney.com/51P/Atricles%20Supp%2013/Article%20462.pdf/
Map: http://www.dallascityattorney.com/51P/Exhibits%20Supp%2013/462A.pdf

There have been several recent zoning and board of adjustment cases in our area that have been of interest to our members, as well of those of surrounding neighborhood associations, and the more informed we all are about the current zoning and rules in place for development in our neighborhood the better equipped we will be to have a voice in helping improve and protect the quality of life in our area!

Jennifer should be able to answer questions we all would be interested to know the answers to, like:
Why are we as neighborhood residents asked to participate in the zoning process?
What could be built next to my home or property "by right" under the current zoning?
When and by whom was PD-462 created and has it accomplishing what was intended?
Where are bars and restaurants allowed on Henderson Avenue under current zoning? How many more might we expect to open in the future?
Where could more parking for Henderson Avenue retail and restaurants be added to keep people from parking on the streets in our residential area?

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting, and please invite all of your neighbors to attend!

Sincerely,

Evan Beattie
President
Henderson Neighborhood Association
214-680-0776

Sounds like Jennifer can answer some of the concerns, etc. Can someone please attend Wed and give us a summary of the meeting ?

[BGM]

Anyone attend the meeting and can share what was talked about ?

[BGM]

Anyone ? Bueller ? Bueller ?

[torycronin]

Looks like the bakery in the strip with Pearl cup did not make it.

[Lakewooder]

BGM I didn't attend and last night was a Cochran Heights meeting - which I completely forgot...

[MDE]

In the neighborhood....


Fitzhugh's gentrification moves into retail site makeovers

By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
stevebrown@dallasnews.com

Some tired old shopping strips on Dallas' east side are getting a makeover.

The retail redevelopment along Fitzhugh Avenue east of North Central Expressway follows an apartment building boom in the area.

With hundreds of more affluent residents moving into the neighborhood, property owners along Fitzhugh are sprucing up storefronts to attract new tenants.

"The area is completely changing," said Steve Gottsacker, president of SPG Realty Advisors, which is about to begin work on its retail property at Fitzhugh and Homer Street.

"We've had 1,750 brand-new apartment units completed within a third of a mile of our location," Gottsacker said. "We are getting constant calls on that property. I've shown it twice this morning."

After one of the current tenants, a dollar store, shuts down, Gottsacker plans to significantly upgrade the building, which was constructed in 1970. A smaller building in front that houses a tire store will also be revamped.

"We are in negotiations with three different restaurant groups who are interested in the location," Gottsacker said.

"We just have to get all the leases and financing together."

Owners of a retail strip a couple of blocks away at Fitzhugh and Belmont Avenue have finished their refurbishment and signed two new leases.

The almost 50-year-old building, which previously housed two nightclubs, has been rented to Herrera's Cafe and a pizza parlor, said development partner Chase Skorburg.

"We bought the property in 2008, right as they were beginning work on the new apartments," Skorburg said. "It was a tired building."

Skorburg said the owner of a smaller retail building next door has also done a new restaurant deal.

"I think this area is going to wind up just like Henderson," he said.

In the last few years, dozens of new restaurants, bars and retailers have opened along Henderson Avenue between North Central Expressway and Ross Avenue.

The commercial strip, which is close to gentrified neighborhoods, is now one of the city's most popular entertainment districts.

"Henderson is jam-packed," Gottsacker said, "and several of the operators from over there are now looking at Fitzhugh."

It makes sense for merchants who have seen the growth along Henderson to be making the hop to Fitzhugh, said retail real estate broker Jack Gosnell of UCR Urban.

"It's really ready to go but has been blocked by some old leases that were holding things up," Gosnell said.

UCR Urban has been hired to lease a nearby retail development at Capitol and Haskell avenues that will be anchored by a Kroger supermarket and LA Fitness.

"The whole area is changing," Gosnell said.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/062610dnbusfitzhugh.1c0f8f8.html

[torycronin]

Not sure if it's for good but Blue Collar Bar was closed last night.

[Lakewooder]

Trendy Henderson could spill over to Fitzhugh; will that help the parking headaches?
11:46 AM Tue, Jun 29, 2010
Nancy Visser/Reporter
http://eastdallasblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/06/trendy-henderson-avenue-is-lik.html

Now that Henderson Avenue has pretty much filled out with trendy shops and restaurants from Central Expressway all the way to Ross Avenue, Fitzhugh Avenue is gearing up to take the spill. DMN real estate writer Steve Brown reports that some tired old strips on Fitzhugh are being spruced up for new tenants. Read his report here.

I tend to avoid popular Henderson restaurants on certain evenings -- Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays -- because the parking is crazy. If you don't use valet parking, you have to troll the area for street parking, only to have to wait forever to get a table anyway.

I thought Wednesday nights were safe, though, but that's no longer true. We stopped by Natsumi, the frozen yogurt and gelato shop, and were stunned by the traffic. The line for valet parking was clogging the intersection and every street in the immediate area was lined with cars.

Fish City Grill used to have free parking, but now it looks like their nice new big lot has been taken over by valet parking. People weren't hesitating to pay the price though. Is it worth it?

All along the strip, beautiful people were headed to dinner. They were packing the street parking in front of some shabby old apartment complexes. They looked a bit out of place a block off Henderson.

I had to wonder: Were these the same folks from Uptown who want to get rid of the ball fields at Griggs Park so that the riff raff from other neighborhoods won't park on their streets? If they don't want riff raff parking in their neighborhood, shouldn't they stay off the street is someone else's neighborhood?

[EastDallasLonghorn]

Valet parking for all of the restaurants and bars on Henderson southeast of Belmont is now FREE, and should stay that way for the foreseeable future.

Some of the recent changes in how the valet parking is configured (including a consolidated valet stand for J Blacks, Neighborhood Services, Capital Pub and all of the restaurants next to Sushi Axiom) should help alleviate the issues we have had with lines of cars waiting to valet park blocking Henderson Avenue around the intersection of Capitol and Henderson. The valets can stack up over 40 cars in front of Sushi Axiom at a time without blocking traffic on Henderson, which will probably solve most of the traffic problems in this area.

I think we will have a bit of a learning curve as people figure out the new valet parking system in the coming weeks, but I'm optimistic that these changes will encourage people to park in the FREE valet parking on Henderson, rather than parking several blocks away in the residential neighborhood.

In my opinion, the neighborhood is unquestionably better off than it was five years ago with the addition of many great new restaurants and merchants, but we are going to experience some growing pains, and hopefully we can continue to work with the land owners and merchants to find solutions to the issues that arise which will work for everyone!

Evan Beattie
President
Henderson Neighborhood Association

[tamtagon]

^Anyone working on a public parking garage for the strip? Or, do you think a garage would help?

[berryhill]

People will learn that it will be easier to take a cab to the area than drive. I know that as the area has become busier, I have found it easier to do that. I predict people from surrounding areas will acclimate as driving such a short distance will become more of a hassle than it's worth. A public garage would be nice, but maybe a designated cab stand would be better and cheaper in the long run.

[BGM]

I was over in Uptown yesterday for a pool party. The city is tearing up and re-paving Hall from 75 to McKinney. Most of stretch is the cemetary---that construction is much better served on Henderson considering the tax $ of restaurants/bars it generates.

[lakewoodhobo]

Why is this city so obnoxiously opposed to pedicabs? Of all the entertainment districts that aren't served by reliable mass transit, this one would benefit the most from that service. There will not be a parking garage built in the neighborhood and you can forget about streetcars in the near future, so a closely regulated group of pedicabs taking people up and down this area would be great (the same goes for Cedar Springs).

[mjblazin]

How often do you drive Hall and are aware of the traffic on it? The road is horrible. It gets lots of traffic since it's basically the entry point for those apartments/townhomes S of McKinney and E of Maple-Routh going to/from I-30 and 75 S of downtown. It has only been incrementally patched in the decade since Post et al threw up all those units that are the real generators of Uptown activity.

[berryhill]

I was over in Uptown yesterday for a pool party. The city is tearing up and re-paving Hall from 75 to McKinney. Most of stretch is the cemetary---that construction is much better served on Henderson considering the tax $ of restaurants/bars it generates.


I live at Hall and State and that construction has been going on for at least a month, maybe two. I think they are doing utility work and that is why Hall has been torn up. Hopefully they do completely repave the street instead of just filling in the holes as the street has been a bumpy ride for years.

[BGM]

Why is this city so obnoxiously opposed to pedicabs? Of all the entertainment districts that aren't served by reliable mass transit, this one would benefit the most from that service. There will not be a parking garage built in the neighborhood and you can forget about streetcars in the near future, so a closely regulated group of pedicabs taking people up and down this area would be great (the same goes for Cedar Springs).

I guess because everybody in Dallas is used to driving everywhere.

[BGM]

How often do you drive Hall and are aware of the traffic on it? The road is horrible. It gets lots of traffic since it's basically the entry point for those apartments/townhomes S of McKinney and E of Maple-Routh going to/from I-30 and 75 S of downtown. It has only been incrementally patched in the decade since Post et al threw up all those units that are the real generators of Uptown activity.

The only reason Hall crowded is because of the population density there. The city is tight on money--the money is better spent on areas that bring in tax revenue. I used to drive Hall everyday when I worked in Turtle Creek and I have 2 buddies that live at State and Allen--so I''m familiar with the area.

[mjblazin]

I don't see the revenue connection. People that eat in restaurants/drink in bars on Henderson, maybe once a week if that level of occurrence, are not going to decide venue based on road conditions. Most of them are probably not Dallas citizens. Taxpaying residents in Uptown, driving every day, already generating substantial direct and indirect revenue, have a reasonable expectation of service. Unless your standards are Lagos, Nigeria, or Kabul, Hall Street is not it.

Why does not the city have some requirements that builders return streets to original conditions? Every time a big building gets erected or receives major work, the surrounding roads take huge abuse and rarely, if ever, are the roads left in satisfactory shape. Why do almost all the great new buildings cited in this forum have horrible roads around them? Akard between Elm and Commerce, Harwood between Woodall Rogers and McKinney, McKinney between Pearl and St. Paul. I don't ever ride the moped around Azure or One Arts, but I assume the surrounding roads are just as bad. Dump tracks and other construction vehicles, not weather and traffic, ravaged these streets. The decade it took to finally fix Hall was way too long.

[AeroD]

I don't ever ride the moped around Azure or One Arts, but I assume the surrounding roads are just as bad.

What the hell? Are you some kind of contrarian banker: Mopeds, mass transit, the artist commune that is the Cedars?

[mjblazin]

I am a frugal utilitarian that believes in efficiency and long term value and does not believe in peak oil, global warming or the ability of almost anyone in government service to guide anything complicated. Consequently, while my investments and behavior may be largely synch with that crowd, our hearts are in very different places.

[carousel]

I was over in Uptown yesterday for a pool party. The city is tearing up and re-paving Hall from 75 to McKinney. Most of stretch is the cemetary---that construction is much better served on Henderson considering the tax $ of restaurants/bars it generates.

Agree. That seems to be a no brainer.

[BGM]

I don't see the revenue connection. People that eat in restaurants/drink in bars on Henderson, maybe once a week if that level of occurrence, are not going to decide venue based on road conditions. Most of them are probably not Dallas citizens. Taxpaying residents in Uptown, driving every day, already generating substantial direct and indirect revenue, have a reasonable expectation of service. Unless your standards are Lagos, Nigeria, or Kabul, Hall Street is not it.



Hall is a cut through for most people. Henderson is the hottest area in Dallas right now as far as restaurants and bars that bring in $ for the city. It's pretty simple.

[MarkL2023]

I don't see the revenue connection. People that eat in restaurants/drink in bars on Henderson, maybe once a week if that level of occurrence, are not going to decide venue based on road conditions. Most of them are probably not Dallas citizens. Taxpaying residents in Uptown, driving every day, already generating substantial direct and indirect revenue, have a reasonable expectation of service. Unless your standards are Lagos, Nigeria, or Kabul, Hall Street is not it.


Absolutely. Until the construction, I used Hall every day for my commute and my shocks were taking a severe beating. Would I care if I had to drive over those potholes once or twice a week? Nope, but boy did it get annoying as a daily routine (read: if that was my only option, I'd move and take my tax dollars elsewhere). In short, a resident is more likely to care about roads than a visitor (restaurant patron).



Why does not the city have some requirements that builders return streets to original conditions? Every time a big building gets erected or receives major work, the surrounding roads take huge abuse and rarely, if ever, are the roads left in satisfactory shape. Why do almost all the great new buildings cited in this forum have horrible roads around them? Akard between Elm and Commerce, Harwood between Woodall Rogers and McKinney, McKinney between Pearl and St. Paul. I don't ever ride the moped around Azure or One Arts, but I assume the surrounding roads are just as bad. Dump tracks and other construction vehicles, not weather and traffic, ravaged these streets. The decade it took to finally fix Hall was way too long.

The Arts District is a little different because the city put a bunch of money into Routh right after One Arts and during JPI's apartments construction. Your point is well made, though. Though there are *some* responsible developers that plan on fixing the streets with their own cash (or even creating their own), it does seem that if you know the right people, you can get away with quite a few negative externalities in this city. The streets are probably the most notorious example, but the Crescent/Rosewood cops are just as annoying. Every day during rush hour, two cops stand in the middle of Cedar Springs between Rosewood Court and the Crescent stopping traffic so that a few cars can exit from those two properties and make left turns onto Cedar Springs. Seems just fine and dandy until you realize they are jacking up the traffic pattern pretty badly (and have for some time). 3/4 out of 5 days the cops stand there in an almost empty street holding cars from getting onto Cedar Springs. Like clockwork, as soon as the light at Pearl and CS turns green (allowing cars to move north up CS) the cops stop traffic both ways so somebody can exit Rosewood north on Cedar Springs. Sure enough, this means cars are sitting through green lights at the P/CS intersection and as a result, cars sit through greens at the CS/Olive light, miss further green lights etc. All so two or three cars can make a left instead of a making a right and circling the block. bah! lol

[BGM]

Absolutely. Until the construction, I used Hall every day for my commute and my shocks were taking a severe beating. Would I care if I had to drive over those potholes once or twice a week? Nope, but boy did it get annoying as a daily routine (read: if that was my only option, I'd move and take my tax dollars elsewhere). In short, a resident is more likely to care about roads than a visitor (restaurant patron).




There are other ways to get around Hall--Allen St, Lemmon, etc. One bad cut through street doesn't deter apartment renters from whether they are going to rent somewhere for 1 year. Most people in Uptown walk for the most part--that's why they live there. And the whole stretch of Henderson is way longer than Hall is from 75 to McKinney Avenue.

[torycronin]

There are other ways to get around Hall--Allen St, Lemmon, etc. One bad cut through street doesn't deter apartment renters from whether they are going to rent somewhere for 1 year. Most people in Uptown walk for the most part--that's why they live there. And the whole stretch of Henderson is way longer than Hall is from 75 to McKinney Avenue.

The city needs to let development along Henderson mature before they come in and revamp the street or spend money on resurfacing. No sense in doing it with more construction likely in the next few years.

[BGM]

The city needs to let development along Henderson mature before they come in and revamp the street or spend money on resurfacing. No sense in doing it with more construction likely in the next few years.

The City actually had it tagged for re-paving, etc from the Laura Miller bond package. The City told me last year they had to shelve it because of financial issues.

[dfwcre8tive]

Parking woes grow with popularity of Old East Dallas strip
12:15 PM CDT on Saturday, July 10, 2010
By NANCY VISSER / The Dallas Morning News
nvisser@dallsnews.com
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/071010dnmethenderson.1d7d1a3.html

Parking on Henderson Avenue on busy evenings has long been a headache, particularly for those who hate valet parking or trolling for street spots.

The crowding has worsened as the strip fills out with popular bars and restaurants from one end to the other. And last month, the problems boiled over after the city shut down six lots that were used for valet parking.

Josh Baethge, a 34-year-old office manager from Plano, summed up the sentiments of numerous Henderson patrons searching for parking on a recent weeknight: "It's all just a huge pain."

The situation illustrates what can happen when old commercial strips like Henderson are reborn into hopping night spots. Dallas trends can be unpredictable, with hordes flocking to neighborhoods with little public transit and parking while rejecting entertainment districts built to handle the masses.

Unlike some other cities in Texas, Dallas requires certain businesses to provide some free parking. But the city can't always predict where the latest hot spot will be.

City officials, police, merchants and neighborhood representatives met last week to address the mess on Henderson, and they acknowledged afterward that there isn't a quick fix.

"It's going to be a political, public safety, economic development issue," said Dallas police Deputy Chief Vincent Golbeck, who called the meeting.

However, there has been some recent relief: Free valet parking is offered all along Henderson, and restaurants near Capitol Avenue have set up a central valet stand that all patrons can use. In addition, one of the main valet lots the city shut down was reopened last week.

Henderson Avenue is a two-lane city street that doesn't even have a turn lane. It was never designed to accommodate the parking needs generated by the trendy restaurants that run from Central Expressway to Ross Avenue. And changes in business along the strip can throw off the parking patterns.

For example, J. Black's Feel Good Lounge opened two months ago with about a dozen parking spots on its lot and free valet service on busy nights. It was an instant draw, and the neighborhood quickly felt the impact, said Evan Beattie, president of the Henderson Neighborhood Association.

Then the dominoes started to fall:

•Cars began to block traffic on Henderson to get into the J. Black parking lot. Other patrons started parking on nearby streets.

•The police got more complaints about noise, trash, blocked driveways and congested side streets.

•A review found that some lots used by the valet service hadn't been approved for that use, and the city shut down six of them.

•A central valet stand was set up at Sushi Axiom, where cars can line up without spilling into the street. Individual restaurants still have their own stands, and if their valets get backed up, they can wave motorists to the next. Some people found it confusing.

•The city determined that emergency vehicles would have trouble getting through some side streets. Parking was restricted on some streets to just one side.

Police Lt. Albert Martinez, a night commander for that area, fears that if parking is restricted further, it will push patrons even deeper into the neighborhood, where they could become crime victims.

Being accommodating

Golbeck decided to reopen the Bonham Elementary School parking lot for valet service, with the promise that the proper paperwork is filed with the city. He said the other lots will remain closed until the city approves them.

"We want to be accommodating," Golbeck said, "but at the same time the message is getting out that people need to follow the proper procedures."

Golbeck said he hopes last week's parking meeting will lead to a working group to address Henderson issues. The business owners are also working on forming a Henderson merchants association.

"It takes something like this to get everyone organized," Beattie said. "We can work together to find solutions."

Still, there are different philosophies on the long-term fixes. And any approaches that require zoning changes are likely to be heavily debated.

Beattie, an architect with the firm Good, Fulton & Farrell, which has been involved in several Henderson Avenue projects, thinks adding mixed-use developments – including a blend of apartments, retail and restaurants – could alleviate some problems.

Those types of projects have to comply with certain parking requirements, which might bring parking garages.

The problem, he said, is that developers want to include apartments at a greater density than is currently allowed by Henderson's commercial and residential zoning. Until zoning changes are supported, new businesses are likely to reuse old buildings instead.

A couple years ago, Andres Properties sought zoning for a mixed-use development in the old Carnival Food Store lot near Ross Avenue, but the company withdrew the request after opposition from some residents and city officials. Instead, Newflower Farmers Market has opened there.

'Walkable feel'

Marc Andres, who with his brother Roger is one of the main Henderson landlords, noted that their development decisions – particularly choosing local tenants over national chains – have resulted in a booming district at a time when the recession has taken a toll in other areas.

"It's the only authentic neighborhood in Dallas that has some type of walkable feel to it. It's unique and authentic," he said.

Andres and Beattie both talk about applying "new urbanism" concepts to Henderson development. The idea is to replace sprawl with walkable, sustainable, livable neighborhoods that incorporate a mix of housing and businesses.

But the challenge is creating a walkable commercial strip in an area where the automobile is the primary mode of transportation.

"When people start using the 'urbanism' word, it concerns me. It's not urbanism to draw vehicles from Plano," said Bruce Richardson, secretary of the Lowest Greenville West Neighborhood Association.

"We really need a better balance of business that works within the current parking situation," Richardson said.

Angela Daniel, 32 of East Dallas, parked on Capitol on a recent weeknight but said she avoids the area on weekends.

"I don't know how they could fix it. It would look awful to put a garage around here," she said.

For now, valet parking works best, Andres said, because the services use lots at schools and businesses that are empty after 5 p.m. and attendants can squeeze in more cars than regular motorists could. He said Lone Star Valet parks about 1,000 cars for his tenants on busy nights.

Andres said that once all of the lots are reopened, order will be restored along the strip. "Things will be better," he said.

Kelli Slate, 52, of Dallas took advantage of the free valet parking on a recent night.

"I hate looking for parking, so this is a big plus and I'm really happy to tip. There's this hoity-toitiness about it, but it's convenient."

Still, many patrons would rather look for available spots on the side streets.

Jamie Marchi, 32, of East Dallas said she almost turned around and went home because she couldn't find parking near Capitol Pub.

"I'm worried it's going to end up like Greenville [Avenue], where people get upset about cars in their neighborhood and then the only option is valet and your car is five miles away."

Staff writers Erinn Connor and Christina Rosales contributed to this report.

Q&A: VALET PARKING ON HENDERSON AVENUE

Aren't Dallas restaurants supposed to provide free parking? The city has requirements for free and available parking (with some exceptions). If a valet service uses that space, the valet service must be offered and signs must clearly state that it's free.

Why not just let the customers park their cars? Valet service helps keep order along the strip, said Marc Andres, one of the primary Henderson landlords. The services use parking space from businesses that are closed in the evening, and the attendants can park 1.5 cars per parking spot. Without it, customers would probably be forced to park deep into the adjacent neighborhoods.

What's wrong with parking on the street? Residents complain about the congestion, trash and drunks. Visitors are warned to be careful about parking at night in unfamiliar neighborhoods. The area between Henderson and Fitzhugh avenues, in particular, is plagued with car burglaries.

With free valet service, do you have to tip the valet attendant? Tipping is optional but expected, according to etiquette experts. "Leave the valet guy $2 or $1, if that's what you have," said Evan Beattie, president of the Henderson Neighborhood Association. "A dollar to not have to walk several blocks through a rather dangerous neighborhood is a good value."

Are valet services regulated? In Dallas, valet services need a city license if they operate on public right of way or use public right of way to move the cars. There are fees for the license, each parking spot, the valet stands, the signs, a site plan review and other items, according to a Sept. 29 briefing from the city's Public Works and Transportation Department. Last fall, enforcement was shifted to the Police Department.

Do other cities require free off-street parking? Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio do not, according to the city's briefing report. It notes that some say that requiring free parking "encourages an auto-dominated transportation system."

Nancy Visser

[BGM]

Exactly why the City needs to focus on Henderson's situation and not blow it.

[ihavebeenseen]

Moving Walkway?

[Mballar]

Parking woes grow with popularity of Old East Dallas strip
12:15 PM CDT on Saturday, July 10, 2010
By NANCY VISSER / The Dallas Morning News
nvisser@dallsnews.com
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/071010dnmethenderson.1d7d1a3.html

'Walkable feel'

Marc Andres, who with his brother Roger is one of the main Henderson landlords, noted that their development decisions – particularly choosing local tenants over national chains – have resulted in a booming district at a time when the recession has taken a toll in other areas.

"It's the only authentic neighborhood in Dallas that has some type of walkable feel to it. It's unique and authentic," he said.

Andres and Beattie both talk about applying "new urbanism" concepts to Henderson development. The idea is to replace sprawl with walkable, sustainable, livable neighborhoods that incorporate a mix of housing and businesses.

I'm not sure what Andres meant by that statement, but I don't consider Henderson any more "authentic" than lower Greenville, or Bishop Arts, and it certainly isn't walkable. The sidewalks along Henderson are about 2 - 3 feet wide, and there are stretches where no sidewalks exist at all. One can walk along Henderson, but it's not all that safe.

As far as the parking situation goes, they better figure out a solution real quick before frequenting the bars and restaurans down there becomes a real hassle. It's almost to that point now on the weekend. This area is in need of a street car, shuttle, or something. (Ideally, it would be nice to see a MATA loop with an extended line, North, all the way up McKinney, then East down Knox/Henderson, then Southwest down Ross to meet up with a Fair Park extension along Haskell - I know that's wishful thinking right now). But, I don't really see a parking garage in the future here. I don't think the nearby residents will allow it.

[Lakewooder]

Something could do immediately is a trolley type bus starting at Mockingbird Station going down Greenville and then back up Henderson to return. They could even go down to City Place and MATA. OF course, who would pay for it?

Also there are many empty lots on the north side of Henderson. I would hate to see that side turned exclusively into parking but for now..

More people should be walking and taking cabs - does anyone park at Newflower or Fiesta?

[Mballar]

More people should be walking and taking cabs - does anyone park at Newflower or Fiesta?
I was wondering the same thing. Parking at Newflower and Fiesta could be part of a short-term solution, but something would need to be done about the sidewalks/pedestrian access between Ross Ave. and Belmont before it can become a real viaable option.

[BigD5349]

The cat's meow would be building out the shell that was supposed to be the Knox Henderson DART station, and a trolley circulator from there.

[CasperITL]

I feel no pity for Henderson Avenue area residents. They fought full force to keep a DART Rail Station from being built in their neighborhood. That would have sucked up enough of the parking problem to make it a non-issue.

Seriously. Someone needs to tell each and every one of them door-to-door to shove it where the sun does not shine if we have to hear another cry baby story about parking congestion.

Really. I mean it.

[mjblazin]

Were those residents involved in station discussion since it probably focused on the retail area near Central? Additionally, the DPD comments made it seem like it was trying to protect the parkers from the residents, not the reverse. My guess is those residents were not the ones going to town halls, especiually in the late 90's.

[elmstreetdallas]

Were those residents involved in station discussion since it probably focused on the retail area near Central? Additionally, the DPD comments made it seem like it was trying to protect the parkers from the residents, not the reverse. My guess is those residents were not the ones going to town halls, especiually in the late 90's.

The Knox-Henderson and Vickery Place neighborhood associations were 100% responsible for killing the Knox DART station.

[mjblazin]

Given proximity to Greenvile, hasn't VPNA already protected themselves with neighborhood parking regulations? If not, I expect then it shortly will.

In these battles, if it's about cars, the neighborhoods always win. They can't do anything about noise or rude behavior, but they can tow cars. Smart bar owners realize it's like stepping on Superman's cape. That's why they understand it's their job to fixthe parking problem. Improve the valet, get a shuttle, whatever. The city does not need to do anything extra here, at least that requires any financial outlay.

Use the valet or take a taxi. We have bigger issues.

[UrbanHope]

the train station would help, but I think that Bonham ES is as far as people will walk if they are going to the places south of Capital. DART is almost broke so they're won't be a station for a while. Do y'all really think people are going to walk from Central & Henderson to Barcadia (as an example)?

The solution is a parking garage, but the neighborhood will never let it happen.

[quietthings]

Would a completely underground garage be out of the question? Too much money even if the neighborhood went along with it?

[Lakewooder]

I lived in Cochran Heights at that time and I can assure you there were a lot of people FOR the DART station. There were just a few vocal self-appointed 'leaders' who went overboard. Also the area has changed quite a bit - there are many, many new residents so don't blame everyone. Back then I was the young guy and now I am the old guy.

[CasperITL]

Would a completely underground garage be out of the question? Too much money even if the neighborhood went along with it?

Well, that would present another problem. There is a thread about Urban Creek Daylighting here that discusses Mill Creek. It runs underground all through that neighborhood and any underground parking garage would need to deal with the massive amounts of water that flow not just in the storm sewers but naturally through the ground.

[tamtagon]

Put a DART garage next to where the station entry will one day be, one on both sides of the highway. The garages could pay for themselves in a few years if the block keeps rockin.

[ihavebeenseen]

Put a DART garage next to where the station entry will one day be, one on both sides of the highway. The garages could pay for themselves in a few years if the block keeps rockin.

Knox/Henderson has been rocking for quite sometime. The newly rocking section is almost a mile away from the highway.

One question I have is why are there no Pedicabs here?

[Lakewooder]

There is also some vacant land along Ross just a block or two from Henderson - old Ross Avenue Baptist Church land for one..still miss that place with its columns and dome.

[lakewoodhobo]

One question I have is why are there no Pedicabs here?

It seems like the city regulated pedicabs out of existence a number of years ago. I wasn't following the story back then and I can't find much information about it online. I do believe they are allowed on streets with 30mph speed limits (like Henderson) so I'm not sure why they're not around.

Personally I don't mind valet service, but there's nothing more annoying than valet congestion (which happens when that is your only choice). If people were allowed to park in certain lots and take pedicabs along Henderson, it would help relieve the valet congestion on busy nights.

[UrbanHope]

do you all think people would use pedicabs? I'm asking because we're reviewing parking regulations right now (it's in committee) and maybe this somehow fits in.

I think any parking garage would have to be on Ross somewhere b/c no neighborhood is going to want it. Remember that there was an uproar when a multi-story building was going to be built where Newflower is located. Also, parking garages cost about (working off of memory) $20,000+ per space to build plus whatever land costs which are now high for that area. Who's going to take that on?

[ihavebeenseen]

why is a parking garage necessary? The old whole foods lot is used as a parking. Newflower has more than enough spaces. If Greenville can get by w/o a public parking garage this area can too.

[UrbanHope]

^ hey I agree with that, but didn't DPD start to crack down on people using Newflower?

sidebar: Me personally, I just dislike valets in general and I park and walk to where I'm going. I don't care if it's 2-3 blocks. And imagine, I don't even take a leak or throw up on someones lawn. (Like 95% of the people) . I just get in my car and go home.

[kenc]

There are no signs at Newflower telling area visitors not to park there.....although there were "you will be towed" signs before the store opened when the buiiding was empty. They could make a lot of money allowing valet access to the lot after 10pm.

[berryhill]

There are no signs at Newflower telling area visitors not to park there.....although there were "you will be towed" signs before the store opened when the buiiding was empty. They could make a lot of money allowing valet access to the lot after 10pm.

I remember reading on one Henderson bar's website (maybe Barcadia?) that they recommended valeting or parking at Newflower. I know people that have parked there on occasion.