NO SKYSCRAPERS, NO REZONING AT PRESTON & ROYAL.
Anyone driving through the neighborhood surrounding Preston Royal would likely see signs on most streets, protesting a recent proposal in the area.
Four problematic buildings were included in the proposal by Burk Interests and Greenway Investment Co.: two large towers, an office building and a low-rise edge development. While this may not seem like a big issue, people in the neighborhood surrounding the area have been adamantly fighting back against the $800 million plan.
In an effort to try assuaging the concerns of the irritated civilians, the firms announced the condo and hotel’s maximum height will drop from 28 stories to 25 stories — a total of 26 feet. The luxury apartment’s height will also drop 25 feet down to a total of 250 feet. The developers hope that lowering the height of the tallest buildings will more likely put families living nearby at ease.
While a 20 foot difference in height may seem like a petty change, former Marksman John Sayah ’80 explains why the height of the buildings is such a big concern.
“The two things I hear about the skyscraper is that it wouldn’t fit in, so it would be a little bit of a potential eyesore, and then some of the neighborhoods around there may not get the sun they usually receive,” Sayah said. “The view may become more claustrophobic and start making the area feel like downtown in Suburbia.”
None of the buildings currently in the Preston Road and Royal Lane intersection are close to as tall as the four newly-proposed buildings would be. The construction plan covers a total of seven acres, and less than 30 percent of the buildings that would be put up will exceed 54 feet in height.
The people’s petitions against the problematic proposal have gained up a total of 2,600 signatures against the firms. The greatest concern amongst students, parents, and anyone who lives relatively close to Preston and Royal is the glaringly obvious obstacle: traffic.
With cars backed up into the street during dropoff and pickup time. Traffic for students and parents is already terrible. The addition of tons of construction would do nothing but harm people who live or commute nearby.
Sophomore Avi Aggarwal lives within walking distance of the school. He is certain that worsening traffic would be harmful to the area.
“Getting to school could become slower and more stressful, especially for students who already commute from farther parts of Dallas,” Aggarwal said. “I also think it could change the atmosphere around St. Mark’s, because right now Preston Hollow still feels quieter and more residential compared to Uptown or Downtown Dallas, and the addition of a 25-story or 28-story tower right near campus would dramatically change the skyline and make the area feel much more urban.”
Providing potential distractions during and after school, the large-scale amount of construction that would need to take place to rezone seven acres concerns Aggarwal the most.
“There’s also the concern about construction itself. These projects take years. That will mean constant road work, noise, trucks, lane closures, and distractions during the school day or athletic events,” Aggarwal said.
Since St. Mark’s already experienced major disruption after the 2019 tornado, some nearby residents are especially sensitive about more large-scale construction.
In addition to the stress of traffic, construction and the drastically altered skyline appear to be the front-runners of all the rallies, some people may not appreciate the guaranteed influx of tourists or businessmen that will arise once the area is done rezoning.
However Sayah looks at this potential congestion of workers, visitors and businessmen in a positive light.
“I think in a positive way, more restaurants, hotels and people want to come and stay who are either participating at the school or visiting the kids at the school,” Sayah said. “I think it will be a nice place for people to go eat and do things before games and events. So, I think it could actually have a positive impact on the school too.”
Most of the people aware of this possible change aren’t aware of the fact that, Sayah says, that there will still be traffic even if the proposal isn’t passed. Based on the current zoning, the number of apartment complexes would still cause the same amount of traffic.
He prefers to take a neutral approach to the situation- — not protesting about the proposal, but not buying in completely either.
While the more popular insight seems to be focusing on the concerns of rising traffic for commuters and students, the constant distraction of construction, or the abnormal height of the buildings, some people develop an optimistic view on the situation.
“They did a study that, there would be less traffic than if they had the apartments that are zoned for that area. So my position would be that I think it would be cool to have a nice development in Preston Royal,” Sayah said. “I would love for it not to be as high as it is. I don’t know that it’s fair to keep it as low as the current zoning is. I would like to hope that there’s a compromise that could end up being a win-win.”
All we can do is wait.
