Despite overwhelming opposition from local residents, a 19-story residential tower and multi-story mixed-use entertainment building could soon be built on a hotel employee parking lot in a quiet neighborhood near the Ritz-Carlton hotel in North Irving.
Although residents, including myself, expressed concerns about the size of the project and the required zoning changes, the Irving City Council approved the project. Residents have not given up.
Residents’ concerns at the August 1 City Council meeting focused on the building’s height and the associated impacts on surrounding residential areas. A multi-story, 19-story mixed-use building on a parking lot just 200 feet from residential areas would significantly increase density, noise and traffic on adjacent streets and through traffic in the neighborhood. This would completely change the character and landscape of this area.
Neighbors in the area collected numerous signatures against the protest.
Initial plans call for a two-story tower and a mixed-use entertainment area. Phase one calls for an 11-story parking garage with an outdoor pool above and a 19-story mixed-use building with 89 high-end condos and a rooftop restaurant/bar. It is advertised that there will be views of downtown Las Colinas from the 19th floor. What has not been advertised, however, is the view of the backyards of the homes located close to each other.
Local residents are concerned that part of the venue on the 19th floor will be open, causing noise and disturbance into the evening hours, which will in turn disturb the peace and quiet of the surrounding neighborhoods.
The revised zoning allows the developer to build a second 19-story mixed-use building in phase two of the project. The zoning for this area of Irving calls for a low-retail intensity zone with no more than four stories. This development will be anything but “low-intensity.” Nothing has changed in this area since the first zoning. The residential area is still there. It was zoned that way for a reason. In the eyes of local residents, it will be “too extreme,” to say the least.
There is no doubt that this type of development will bring great financial benefits to the city of Irving. It is believed that this was the driving force behind the City Council’s approval. The benefit to the city’s bottom line is unquestionable. The reason for the opposition is the enormous size and location of the development.
Residents are concerned that a 19-story, 250-foot-tall building is planned in an area where the maximum height is four stories and 99.5% of the buildings are well under 50 feet tall. This building will be more than twice as tall as the nearby Ritz-Carlton hotel, which is only nine stories.
In addition, there are concerns about the feasibility of this area supporting a building of this size. To date, there is no formal traffic impact study, no sewer capacity study, nor a primary and secondary exit plan for emergency vehicle accessibility, city documents confirm.
Residents argued that these studies should have been done at least before the City Council approved the zoning change. They say approving the zoning is “putting the cart before the horse.”
Residents are not against growth and development in Las Colinas, but they do not want their neighborhood to become a test site for this and future densification projects. A 19-story residential building does not fit this site aesthetically or ecologically. It would destroy the character of the surrounding residential neighborhoods. Several other plots of land could be used.
Kevin Wolever is a resident of Irving
We welcome your opinion in a letter to the editor. Read the guidelines and Send your letter hereIf you have any problems with the form, you can send it by email to the following address: [email protected]
