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The Real Estate Council is
actively monitoring issues at the state and local level that impact
the commercial real estate industry and our partners. Our mission is
to build a better city – and public policy is an essential component
of that vision.
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TREC PAC
Reception at the Home of Kathy and Harlan Crow
We are excited to invite you to a special reception supporting
TREC Political Action Committee (PAC) on Thursday, April 25. We will
be joined by special guests state Rep. Morgan Meyer and state Sen.
Nathan Johnson for a candid conversation on the recent and upcoming
state elections and how the fallout will shape next year’s
Legislature. This is a special opportunity to gather together with
TREC legacy leaders and current Public Policy Committee and PAC
volunteers.
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ForwardDallas
City of Dallas Planning + Urban Design Department has released the
third draft of the ForwardDallas 2.0 Draft Plan, and city staff and
proponents continue to work to educate the public
on what the plan does. The plan was recently briefed to the City Plan
Commission on March 21, and Councilmembers are hosting town halls to
discuss the plan’s vision
in their districts.
ForwardDallas is a comprehensive land use plan that will guide how
and where the city develops over the next 10 years. It does not
change current zoning or alter any planned development districts or
existing development rights. TREC has been participating in the
review and input phase of this plan for almost two years; please take
the opportunity to review the maps again and share any feedback or
concerns with us! Staff hopes to present to the final plan and maps
to Council for consideration by June.
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Parking
Reform: On Tuesday, January 30,
the City of Dallas Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee approved
staff’s recommendations to update the city’s parking code and
eliminate minimum parking requirements. TREC members and staff are in
the process of reviewing staff’s recommendations, which includes the
addition of design standards and Transportation Demand Management
Plans (TDMPs). We will provide industry feedback to city staff and
City Plan Commissioners prior to CPC receiving their first briefing
on the topic in April. Be sure to join us at our next Public Policy Committee meeting on
Thursday, April 4 to hear from Dallas Senior Planner Michael Wade for
a special presentation on the recommended reforms.
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Mobility
Planning in Dallas' Urban Core: Dallas
received two comprehensive briefings on
Wednesday, March 6, about the future of significant mobility projects
in the city’s urban core – design status of I-345, high-speed rail to
Houston and Fort Worth, and the potential expansion of streetcar. These are
generational investments that will transform transportation
accessibility and urban placemaking in the downtown corridor. Each
concept is also intrinsically tied to the economic development
opportunities for Dallas. TREC is engaged with each of these
conversations and would love your help -- please contact Jennifer
Schmiel if you’d like to get more engaged on the Mobility
Subcommittee within the Public Policy Committee.
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Parkland
Dedication: The
88th Legislature adopted HB 1526, which governs how large
municipalities can charge parkland dedication fees to developments.
On Tuesday, March 5, the Texas Senate Committee on Natural Resources
& Economic Development requested an advisory opinion from
the Texas Attorney General’s office on the interpretation of how
appraisal districts are calculating the underlying land value for the
new fee formulas. As such, Dallas and other municipalities have not
fully implemented a new, state-compliant ordinance. Until then,
Dallas is also not collecting any parkland dedication fees. TREC will
continue to monitor developments on this topic and looks forward to
working with the City to ensure adoption of a fair parkland
dedication ordinance.
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Appointment
of Kimberly Bizor Tolbert as Interim City Manager: Dallas
City Council members have appointed
Deputy City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to temporarily succeed
T.C. Broadnax, who announced his resignation as Dallas city manager
on February 21 and has been selected for the same role
in Austin, Texas. Austin City Council will vote on Broadnax’s
appointment on Thursday, April 4. The process of selecting Broadnax’s
permanent replacement is expected to take several months,
and Dallas has issued an RFP for a firm to conduct a national search.
On Tuesday, April 2, a Dallas City Council committee will deliberate on
the dates that Broadnax’s departure and Tolbert’s succession would
take effect.
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Development
Services Department (DSD) Fees: City
Council approved the Development Services Department proposed fee
increases at their March 27 meeting. This was the third time
Council has taken up this topic, having postponed the vote to approve
staff recommendations the previous two times pending requests for
transparency and additional information made by TREC and other
industry partners. DSD staff finally released a memo on
Friday, March 15, and a corrected memo on
Friday, March 22, at TREC's request, addressing some of the questions
and concerns. The ordinance increases the department's fees to meet
full cost recovery and will go into effect on Wednesday, May 1. As
part of the discussion, staff also agreed that all future fee
increases will be implemented six months after Council adoption and
will apply only to projects that have not begun permit and/or plat
applications.
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Manage Your Preferences
The
Real Estate Council
3100 McKinnon Street, Suite 1150 Dallas, TX 75201
214.692.3600 | recouncil.com
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