Plans to demolish a house over 100 years old in the southeast neighborhood of Kleberg to make room for an AutoZone store have been put on hold after residents showed up to protest.
On Dec. 30, residents discovered a contractor was going to tear down the house after seeing machinery brought onto the property at 2450 S Beltline Road. There were no demolition permits posted around the house or on the city’s permitting website.
That same day, members of the Kleberg Neighborhood Association and Crime Watch emailed council member Lorie Blair, who represents the area, and code enforcement, seeking help to stop the demolition of what they thought was a historic house.
A century-old historical house, located at 2450 S. Belt Line Road in Dallas, awaits its fate. Its demolition has been halted after residents of Kleberg sounded off against a new AutoZone store being built in their neighborhood. The historical house and its established trees are being affected.
Steve Hamm
Breaking News
When they arrived the next morning, a tree had already been cut down. Residents estimated the tree was 200 years old. The contractor, Darrell Alsup with Van Tassel-Proctor Construction, did not have a demolition permit.
The contractor was issued a building permit in November but failed to obtain the required demolition permit, according to Nick Starling, the city of Dallas’ public information officer.
The plans are currently stalled.
“Planning and Development has been in contact with the developer, and they have since submitted an application for the required demolition permit,” Starling wrote via email. “The demolition permit is expected to be issued, provided that all applicable codes and submittal requirements are satisfied.”
In the past, residents have complained about the city’s lack of oversight in this area, which was annexed by Dallas in 1978.
“Once again, people come over and do whatever they want without the city doing anything,” said David Carranza, president of the neighborhood association. “And we were not going to allow it to happen.”
Residents also learned that a new 6,800-square-foot AutoZone was being built on that corner, which is zoned for commercial use.
AutoZone and The R.H. Johnson Company, based in Missouri, which hired Van Tassel-Proctor Construction for the scope of work, did not respond to requests for comment from The Dallas Morning News.
Residents want to see development in the area, but they don’t want an auto parts shop there, said Carranza. There is another AutoZone, less than two miles from the property at 943 S Beltline Road.
The property is surrounded by homes, and across the street, there is a gas station and a Family Dollar store.
Alsup told The Dallas Morning News he simply showed up at the property to complete the scope of work he was assigned to do. He travels across the country doing the same type of work.
Code compliance issued a notice of violation after determining that demolition had begun without the required permit. The contractor has until Jan. 9 to resolve the case.
As of Jan. 8, no fines have been issued to the contractor, according to the city.
See the Century Old house Kleberg residents want to save from AutoZone
View GalleryPreserve heritage
Carranza and the neighbors were concerned about a 101-year-old home being torn down and the more than 10 trees surrounding the property.
At first, they thought it was a historic building due to its age and its relevance to the community, as a prominent doctor who was a pioneer in Kleberg used to live there.
Blair said because past owners had done too many renovations, it was no longer considered a historical site. It was too modernized inside and out.
“The residents are trying to preserve it, just like most of the older areas in the city of Dallas,” said Blair. “As new development comes our way, what we would love to do is be able to preserve our heritage, but still enable and allow growth to happen.”
In Dallas, all trees are considered protected until determined otherwise.
A tree survey is required for all properties submitted for construction or other disturbances that may affect trees. A building permit for construction, or a separate tree removal permit, must be issued before a protected tree may be removed.
Still, the regulations on trees can be complex, said Lindsey Brammer, an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist and general manager with Texas Tree Surgeons.
They are governed by particular tree species that are protected depending on the size and condition of the tree, not just its age, and where it is located.
The city’s spokesperson said via email, “The issuance of the building permit authorized the removal of all protected trees on the property in accordance with the approved landscape and tree mitigation plans reviewed by the city arborist.”
It’s unclear exactly how old all the trees in the property are. Residents estimated the one demolished on Dec. 31 was about 200 years old.
Brammer said they often encounter situations in North Texas like this one, where developers avoid tree-protection laws, cut down trees without a demolition permit, and get away with it.
The lack of permits, the surprise of a new auto part shop and the removal of trees pushed the residents to stand up for their neighborhood.
Residents might not be able to save the house or the trees, but they plan to keep fighting the upcoming AutoZone.