The successor to  the drive-in bank phenomenon is a combination of tacos and frozen yogurt places.  Remember how,  just recently, it seemed that all new construction in Dallas County was geared toward branch banks?  Well, now, 395 of the 400 new businesses opened in and within a five-mile radius of the PC in the last six months are either a taco or frozen yogurt joint.  (Actual numbers estimated based on recent drives through the area).

Surely someone has introduced a frozen yogurt taco by now, haven’t they?

Likely you’ve heard that neighbors in the vicinity of Highland Park Presbyterian Church are upset — an understatement, perhaps — about HPPC’s motion to rezone and build a surface parking lot. Yesterday evening, the plan finally went before University Park’s* planning and zoning commission, in a public hearing wherein supporters and opponents had 45 minutes, per group, to make their case (HPPC’s side took less time, though six members spoke on its behalf).

The outcome: Proposed bluprints are shelved at least until P and Z’s next meeting on Sept. 14, pending more research and consideration. In the meantime, said Bob West, Planning and Zoning Commission chair, he’d like to see the church crunch numbers for an underground parking garage — one of several options broached Tuesday night by those opposed to the surface lot.

The rendering above, from Lambert Garden Design, illustrates a wall that will screen the lot from view, designers say, and lend itself to a “park-like setting” in the neighborhood.

Want more details? We’ll have them in Friday’s issue of Park Cities People.

*For anyone jumping into this story midway through or living more than a stone’s throw from HPPC: The church is actually inside the City of University Park, confusing-name geography be darned.

Is it just me or has this Rapunzel house at Lovers and Boedeker been under construction for a solid 3 years now? Finish the castle, man.

Steven Breed, best known for stealing jewelry and valuables during open house tours, has been arrested by the Collin County Sheriff’s Department.

Here’s the press release from Detective Marty Nevil, spokesperson for Highland Park DPS:

STEVEN BREED, was arrested this morning August 5, 2010 around 8:45 am by Collin County Sheriff’s office for violating his probation. There is no bond set, he will be held until his probation violation hearing in a couple of months. He faces additional charges filed by Frisco Police Department.

Although Breed is no longer a threat, there are potentially others like him. Please remember to have homeowners lock up their valuables and to listen to your instincts when someone makes you question their motives.

This just in from the “I Facebook at Work” department:

I’m needing to hire an assistant ASAP, so if you guys know anyone in Dallas looking for a full time job (hourly pay) working with some of Dallas’ finest real estate agents and a crazy broker, please email me asap. Rogers@RogersHealy.com

At tonight’s University Park City Council meeting, council members will select an appraiser for the vacant lot at 7406 Turtle Creek Boulevard after a 4 p.m. closed session in which they’ll discuss “the possible acquisition of real property located at 7406 Turtle Creek Blvd.”

The property is owned by Henry S. Renz and Annice B. Renz.  If Google Maps is to be trusted, it shows that the Renzes own the adjoining property.

Here’s the big question: What would the city of University Park do with this triangular parcel?

In today’s issue of Park Cities People, I’ve caught up with several parties involved in HPPC’s much-squabbled-over plan for a new parking lot, which will go before University Park’s planning and zoning commission in August. The issue made CBS 11 earlier this week — naturally, right before our story went to press.

In a letter sent yesterday to neighbors, HPPC’s Rev. Ron Scates had this to say about the lot (herein he references a “facts and perspectives sheet” that you can download as a PDF):

Dear HPPC Family,

The last project in the Forward by Faith campaign, the parking plaza, has received media attention and sparked debate within our community. We anticipate that this will continue over the coming months as we proceed with the planned development rezoning process with the city.

We expect that many of you may be asked questions about our plans from others.  Should you need additional information, or a refresher, we attach a Facts and Perspectives document that is provided to give you more explanation and details. You can also view the final design in the Welcome Center and on the church web site at www.hppc.org/forwardbyfaith.

Communication with our neighbors began in March of 2009 when we presented to them the first concept for the parking plaza.  Since then we have met multiple times with neighbors, modifying our plans where possible to incorporate into the design our understanding of their concerns. We slowed down our design process, we stopped and backed up so we could include more input from our neighbors, and we included two neighbors on the final design team. Several meetings were held with neighbor representatives, some who are members of HPPC.  Several features were added or modified as a direct  result of the interaction with our neighbors. While these revisions added significantly to the total cost, we believe the changes improve the overall plaza design and function, and its fit with our neighborhood.

The parking spots will serve to encourage believers to worship in community as Christ commands us.  The  parking spots will serve to encourage believers and members to invite a friend to join them.  The parking spots will serve to beckon those who are broken and weary to seek comfort in the arms of the Church.  That is how we see the parking plaza – it will enhance the mission of HPPC of “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ.” We will be a more accessible and welcoming church as a result of this parking plaza.

Although we have tried our best to develop a design that is supported by the neighborhood, we realize that some remain unhappy with our decisions. Some of our good neighbors disagree with us about the benefits of the plan to the church and the community.  We have heard and acknowledge their concern. After much deliberation, our hope is that this view will be transformed in time to one of neighborly  understanding, acceptance, and appreciation.  In keeping with our long tradition and place in this unique neighborhood, we believe this parking plaza will increase our ability to minister to the community while extending the beauty of our architecture to the West Block in a manner that blends into the neighborhood.

In the attached Facts and Perspective sheet, we have answered many of the questions we have been hearing about the parking plaza. We have also provided clarification based on some of the mistaken information we have heard.

Please join us in thanking the Lord for all He has done in this season of our church’s history where we have moved Forward by Faith.

Rev. Dr. Ron Scates

Senior Pastor Ben Brown, Clerk of Session

Thoughts?

Candy Evans at Dallas Dirt has the scoop.

Details are incoming, here, but I thought I’d circle back to the parking lot/parking plaza issue at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, in anticipation of its Aug. 10 review. Seems University Park city staff isn’t too keen on the notion of a gazebo — as proposed for said lot — that would face the church and feed in to a bricked walkway.

The reason? It’d be covering something important: a sewer line.

“Sewer lines and water mains tend to break at 3 a.m. when it’s pouring down rain,” said community development director Robbie Corder. “You don’t want a structure like a gazebo in the way when city’s going to tear it down anyway.”  Then would come hemming and hawing, perhaps, about who owes what to whom.

In any case, Corder said, revisions are a typical part of the planning/zoning process.

Stay tuned.

I got kind of excited about the agenda for the University Park Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on June 28. The “special called meeting” was to be a public hearing on the replatting of the Courtyards at Normandy, the development that Dan blogged about previously that would require the razing of an entire block.

However, after talking to Robbie Corder, UP’s director of community development, just about anything that seemed even remotely sexy about the meeting turned dry.

Corder said that replatting is just the next step in the development process as JTL Normandy inches its way closer to obtaining a building permit. “It’s a lot like the Bush Library,” he said, “where they took a lot of smaller pieces of land to make a much bigger one.”

Corder said that replatting after the City Council has passed the detailed site plan is often a “formality.”