Wynnewood North:  A Unique Oak CliFF Neighborhood  

Wynnewood North, encompassing 300 homes in a hilly, scenic North Oak Cliff location, was  named "Best Neighborhood in Dallas" for 2012 by the Dallas Observer. The neighborhood is  bounded by Vernon Avenue on the west, Zang Boulevard on the east, West Illinois Avenue on the south, and West Clarendon Drive on the north.   

Source:  Wynnewood North Neighborhood Association Website  

The 820 acres of the entire Wynnewood neighborhood originally belonged to farmer John M. Wright until 1913 when American Home Realty Company bought the land with plans for future  development.  This development came after World War II when Angus Wynne, Jr. returned to  Dallas in 1945 to complete the task of developing the 820 acres of property in Oak Cliff.  The 120  northernmost acres of this property would become Wynnewood North.   

Due to the sudden influx of returning G.I.’s and the subsequent need for new housing after World War II, builders across the country experienced a shortage of supplies. With financial help  from the Patman Bill, which provided $400,000,000 in federal subsidies to provide builders with  materials, Wynne, Jr. completed the Wynnewood Addition, and established the neighborhood as the first, post-war “packaged suburb” in Dallas. 

 Angus G. Wynne, Jr. envisioned the Wynnewood Addition as a modern development with  efficient, well-designed, high-quality houses located in a self-contained community complete  with a nearby shopping center and convenient access to downtown. During the 1950’s Wynnewood North established itself as a separate neighborhood that catered more to Dallas’  upper middle class.  

Located directly north of the Wynnewood Village Shopping Center, Wynnewood North’s larger  lots and mature oak trees attracted both the noted architect, Bud Oglesby, as well as the Hare &  Hare landscape architect firm. Today, with its large, shaded lots, cohesive houses, and proximity  to I-35, Wynnewood North neighborhood preserves the atmosphere and convenience of an  original, post-war American suburb.               

Source:  Preservation Dallas  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.  What is a Conservation District?  

A Conservation District (CD) is a zoning tool used to designate an area within a neighborhood  with a distinct physical character.  CDs are intended to provide a means of conserving an area's distinctive character by protecting or enhancing its physical attributes. (City of Dallas Planning  and Urban Design Conservation District website) They are a way to stabilize a neighborhood and  protect investments in our homes.   

2.  What is the purpose of a Conservation District?  

The purpose of a Conservation District is to conserve the overall character of the  neighborhood.  Because our Wynnewood North neighborhood has a distinctive history and  architectural character—the “large, shaded lots and cohesive houses” that Preservation  Dallas notes—many homeowners in Wynnewood wish to conserve the style and size of  homes that have characterized our neighborhood since its origin.  
In essence, the purpose of a Conservation District is to:  

•  Maintain the value of our homes.  
•  Conserve our area’s distinctive character by protecting or enhancing its physical  attributes.  
•  Promote development that is compatible with existing structures with the district.  
•  Ensure harmonious, orderly, and aligned growth.  

3.  How and why did this conversation about becoming a Conservation District begin?  

Other Oak Cliff neighborhoods have experienced sudden and rapid demolition of older  homes in the neighborhood that are still in good shape.  In many instances, these homes  were replaced by “big box” homes that were not a good fit within the neighborhood.   WNNA residents formed a committee to investigate the possibility of becoming a Conservation District to ensure that homes in Wynnewood complement, rather than detract from, the architectural style and size of existing homes in the neighborhood.  

4.  How will being designated a Conservation District benefit me as a resident and a homeowner?  

We have all purchased homes in Wynnewood North for a variety of reasons, including  location, mature trees, affordability, and friendliness of neighbors.  For many of us, the  “feel” of the neighborhood is key.  As Preservation Dallas notes, with our “large, shaded  lots, cohesive houses, the Wynnewood North neighborhood preserves the atmosphere  and convenience of an original, post-war American suburb.”   Becoming a Conservation District gives us the tools to stabilize our neighborhood and  protect the investment we’ve made in our homes by regulating teardowns of existing  homes and construction of “McMansions”.  We can require builders to be sensitive to  our neighborhood’s architectural style and create homes that augment rather than detract from Wynnewood’s charm.  As homeowners, we know that property values in  Oak Cliff have been steadily rising for many years.  However, once newer, larger homes  outnumber the older existing homes, your home will be worth only lot, or “dirt”, value.   Buyers would want to buy your home for the lot, scrape off your home and build a much  larger, newer home.  
For these reasons, we believe that becoming a Conservation District will benefit  Wynnewood North residents and homeowners.  

5.  What is motivating the desire to become a Conservation District?  

As we have said, other Oak Cliff neighborhoods have been surprised by the sudden tear  down of older homes and their replacement with “big box” homes that do not fit or  align with existing homes in the neighborhood.  

An example (not from Wynnewood North):

One of these homes is clearly different than the others. Rather than blending in with the context of the neighborhood, it stands out dramatically.While we have - and appreciate - a variety of homes in our neighborhood, we want to avoid what other neighborhoods have experienced:  waking up and finding that a home  that is completely out of line in terms of scale and size with our neighborhood is being  built.  

6.   What are some examples of other Conservation Districts in Oak Cliff and Dallas?  

In Oak Cliff, Bishop / 8th Street, King’s Highway, Stevens Park, and Kessler Park are  Conservation Districts.  In other parts of Dallas, Hollywood Heights, Lakewood, and the  M Streets are some examples of Conservation Districts.  Due to their status as Conservation Districts, all these neighborhoods have been able to sustain the unique  look and feel of each distinctive neighborhood.  

7.  Would becoming a Conservation District mean that I’ll be told what to do and what not to do with my property?  

As we know, being a resident of the City of Dallas, like all municipalities, means that our  residences must meet city codes regarding plumbing, off-street parking, height of  
fences, fire safety, setbacks, density, sounds, smells and much more.  Most of us agree  that part of being a good neighbor is complying with these basic norms.    
Becoming a conservation district would enable us to specifically address and maintain  architectural standards that make Wynnewood North feel like Wynnewood North.   These architectural standards would include:  

• Architectural Styles  
• Building Elevations   
• Roof Form or Pitch  
• Setbacks  

8.   If Wynnewood North becomes a Conservation District will my taxes go up?  

There is no correlation between becoming a Conservation District and increased taxes. Becoming a Conservation District does not involve additional fees or assessments for homeowners.   We know that property values in Wynnewood North have been rising for years as residents maintain and improve their properties.  Being part of a Conservation District will help our homes to retain or increase market value and taxes would reflect that.     However, increased taxes would reflect increased value—a good thing—rather than being part of a Conservation District.         

9.   Will I have to make changes to my property if WNNA becomes a Conservation District?  

No, you will not be required to make any changes to your property because of becoming  a Conservation District.  Current homeowners—including those with non-contributing structures—do not have to do anything to their property if the area becomes a  Conservation District.  The new standards apply only when you make alterations to the exterior of your home (generally what is visible from the street) or rebuild/construct a  new structure.  

10. Is a Conservation District like a Homeowners’ Association (HOA)?                                                   

No, a HOA is different from a Conservation District in that there are no dues for a  Conservation District.  Additionally, unlike a HOA, which can get very “granular” and  
prescribe such details as paint colors and landscaping, a Conservation District is focused  on maintaining the integrity of Wynnewood North at a structural level.  Last, the  
specifics of the Conservation District have yet to be developed and will be defined at  neighborhood meetings.  

11. How is a Conservation District different from a Historic District?  

A Conservation District is much less restrictive than a Historic District.  In a Historic District, if you live in a Craftsman-style house and want to replace your windows, you  might be required to replace them with windows that are typical of the Craftsman style.  In a Conservation District, the purpose is to conserve the overall character of the  neighborhood.  In a Conservation District, unlike in a Historic District, activities such as  painting your home or replacing your doors or windows would not be regulated.  

12. What are the necessary steps and where are we in the process?  

The Wynnewood North CD Committee has been meeting and investigating the possibility of  becoming a Conservation District since late 2022.  We have met with neighborhood  Committees from Kidd Springs and Miller/Stemmons to understand their process.  First, a Neighborhood Committee (comprised of property owners of at least ten properties  within the proposed Conservation District) must settle on the boundaries for the proposed  Conservation District and submit a formal request for “Determination of Eligibility” to the  City’s Director of Sustainable Development.  This ensures that it is the neighborhood that is  
seeking and driving this change.  
If the area is determined to be eligible to become a Conservation District, City staff will hold  at least two pre-application meetings to explain the process to the neighborhood.   Additionally, these meetings will be opportunities for residents to generate a list of  
architectural standards that we want to include in our CD ordinance.  
Next, the Neighborhood Committee may submit an application to become a Conservation  District.  The application must be accompanied by a petition signed by property owners  within the eligible area that represents at least (a.) 58% of the land, excluding streets and  alleys within the proposed CD, or (b.) 58% of the lots within the proposed CD.  
The application fee is $75; however, if the petition is signed by 75% or more of the owners  of lots, the fee will be waived.  
Once a CD application is complete, more neighborhood meetings will be held and ultimately  the ordinance will be forwarded to the City Plan Commission for review and approval.   
Finally, it will be approved by the City Council.  

13. What is the permit review process for properties in a Conservation District?  

Once a neighborhood becomes a Conservation District, compliance with ordinance  
regulations is required whether a work permit is needed or not.  The process is as follows:  

A.   A Work Review Form (WRF) must be submitted to the City’s Planning and Urban Design  Department by the property owner or contractor for any work covered by the standards  in the CD ordinance.    
B.  A WRF for a Conservation District will be completed as quickly as possible.  Reviews for  most work—that which is limited in scope—may take only a few days.  Reviews for new  construction or major remodeling projects may take longer due to the more complex nature of the proposed work.  
C.  City staff will review the proposed project and determine whether the work complies  with the standards of the applicable Conservation District ordinance.  If so, the applicant  can move forward with obtaining building permits, if required, and proceed with the  project.  

14. Who can I contact for more information?  

Pat Ford       patrick@rogers-ford.com

Steve Westerheide       streamtrails2024@outlook.com

Developed April 2023 / Updated November 2023 & January 2024  Jennifer Parvin