South Dallas District 7 has a new plan commissioner — Tabitha Wheeler-Reagan. She will join 14 plan commissioners to hear zoning cases and make recommendations to the City Council.

Tabitha Wheeler-Reagan, the co-chair of the South Dallas/Fair Park Area Plan Task Force, says the neighborhood’s PD 595 deters new businesses from coming into South Dallas. PD 595’s initial goals were to police alcohol sales and prevent gentrification, she explains, but she and the task force believe the zoning needs to be updated — still protecting the community, but encouraging local entrepreneurs, too.

“The more things that we bring in that keep our residents in our community spending their money here, the more we create that ecosystem of a sustainable economy that is going to give back to this community, instead of all of our dollars being spent elsewhere,” says Councilman Adam Bazaldua.