NORTH DALLAS, Texas – A neighborhood coalition is concerned about a flood of traffic, and what could happen if there’s an actual flood along the creek behind the store. H-E-B purchased land off the LBJ freeway at Hillcrest Road and to keep this in perspective, the project is still in its early phases.

Dallas City Council will ultimately have the final say on whether to approve the re-zoning of the proposed site before H-E-B can move forward with its plans to build a store in North Dallas.

(Photo by Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Local perspective:

While H-E-B certainly has a large fan following, many residents who live in the area say the new store would make that busy area even more congested.

Beryl George knows the in-and-outs of the 10-acre property, located at the southeast corner of Interstate 635 and Hillcrest Road in North Dallas extremely well.

That’s because she’s part of a recently formed Hillcrest neighborhood civic activist group that is opposed to the bulldozing of the current medical office complex, in order to make way for a new H-E-B grocery store.

“This area is really congested already. Hillcrest is used as an offshoot when there’s traffic issues on Central or on the tollway,” said George.

What we know:

H-E-B bought the 10-acre property back in January.

The Texas-based company is hoping to build a 127,000 square foot grocery store along with a 2-story parking garage.

The location is currently zoned for a “neighborhood office.”

H-E-B is asking the city to rezone it to ‘regional retail’, which would allow for 80% lot coverage and structures up to 70-feet high.

What they’re saying:

FOX 4’s Alex Boyer talked to Bruce Wilke, the president of the nearby Hillcrest Forest Neighborhood Association, by phone.

“HEB is like a big box on steroids. This location was never intended for a regional, retail use that attracts customers from all over North Dallas and beyond,” he said.

Wilke said he’s heard from many concerned residents, especially those who live closest to the site.

“It’s going to generate a massive amount of traffic,” said Wilke.

Big picture view:

H-E-B has been growing in North Texas and has a huge fan following, as seen with the recent store opening in the city of Melissa.

For its Dallas proposal, H-E-B has presented the city with a traffic mitigation plan that includes adding a new right-turn lane at Hillcrest Road and Interstate 635, and modifying the Hillcrest Plaza Drive intersection with Hillcrest Road to allow for two left-turn lanes, among other traffic enhancements.

Dig deeper:

In a recent social media post, H-E-B said:

“Your input is important to us, and we look forward to continuing the conversation about our hillcrest/LBJ store.”

Still George points out there are 12 grocery stores within 2.5 miles of the site, and she just doesn’t think the location is the right fit for one of their busy stores, especially on a site that backs up to a flood plain along White Rock Creek.

George says the one-way rear exit has been closed 8 times so far this year due to flooding.

“So where is the back exit going to go,” said George.

What’s next:

H-E-B is hosting a community meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at Westin Park Central at 6:00 p.m.

Anyone who has an opinion on the project is encouraged to attend.

The Source: Information in this article was provided from an interview conducted by FOX 4’s Alex Boyer.

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