Zoning proposal for 400-foot tower sparks concern in La Bajada neighborhood
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Neighborhoods that have been undervalued and disinherited for decades suddenly are prime real estate. Except, it’s not as “sudden” as it feels. Decisions are made every day at City Hall, Dallas ISD headquarters and local seats of government that impact our neighbors.
One example of this is a zoning proposal for a 400-foot tower that would sit next to the historic and working class La Bajada neighborhood. The zoning change was filed two years ago, and it’s on today’s City Council agenda.
Yesterday we published a timeline of this case, from a La Bajada Thanksgiving dinner to the developers’ appeal after the City Plan Commission recommended denying the change. A year ago we published a story exploring whether the fate of West Dallas rests on this proposed 400-foot tower.
This kind of journalism requires ample time and effort, along with expertise and deep listening to neighbors. We provide it as a free service, but it’s costly to report and to produce.
We chose to follow and invest in this zoning case because West Dallas neighbors have made clear to us their fear that such a tower could be a game changer for their neighborhood, and not in ways that benefit them. It’s an important case — but it’s only one case. There’s so much more work to do.
That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that Report for America selected Dallas Free Press as a new host newsroom partner for 2022-23! Our fellow, who will join our team next June, will be trained to scour local agendas and public records to ensure that neighbors in South Dallas and West Dallas are informed and empowered.
Somewhat like an AmeriCorps for reporters, Report for America is invested in training the next generation of journalists and in bolstering local newsrooms in order to undergird democracy. They pay a portion of reporters’ salaries during their three-year fellowship, but newsrooms need to come up with the rest.
We need your help in making this important reporting role a reality. Between now and Dec. 31 your donations will be doubled and tripled by our NewsMatch partners. If our generous supporters donate $13,000, it will mean a total of $31,000, which would cover our commitment to our Report for America fellow’s salary this coming year.
Can you invest in our civic reporting in West Dallas and South Dallas with a gift today?
Thank you for your support of equitable local journalism,
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Keri Mitchell has spent 20+ years as a community journalist, including 15 years dedicated to community and civic journalism at Dallas’ Advocate magazines. She launched Dallas Free Press in early 2020 with the belief that all neighborhoods deserve reporting and storytelling that values their community and holds leaders accountable.
Mitchell says she is energized by “knowing our work is making an impact — listening to people, telling their stories with strong narratives paired with compelling data that leads to change. I also love spending time in our neighborhoods and with our neighbors, learning from them and working to determine how journalism can be part of the solution to their challenges.”
Mitchell is proud to be the winner of multiple awards during her journalism career including: Finalist in Magazine Feature Reporting (2018) and Finalist in Magazine Investigative Reporting (2017) from Hugh Aynesworth Excellence in Journalism, Best Feature Story (2011) from Texas Community Newspaper Association and Best Magazine Feature (2011) from Dallas Bar Association Philbin Awards.
Areas of Expertise:
local government, education, civic issues, investigative and enterprise reporting
Location Expertise:
Dallas, Texas
Official Title:
Founder + executive director
Email Address:
keri@dallasfreepress.com
