East Dallasites need to prepare for a big boom, and freeway aficionados get a chance to see TxDOT up close and personal. Here are some of the biggest things that happened in city-of-Dallas news this week:
Sam's Club implosion
Despite neighbor protests, Trammell Crow is taking the next club-footed step on its dastardly plan to build a Sam's Club in East Dallas with a building implosion scheduled for February 1. Executive VP and general counsel Scott A. Dyche wrote a "Dear Neighbor" letter outlining its game plan, which will begin at 8 am on a Sunday morning, when it blocks off Carroll Avenue between 75 and Coles Manor Place.
They describe the noise level as "similar to or less than a thunderstorm overhead."
"There will be a loud, albeit brief, series of explosions and noise as the building collapses, as well as a temporary dust cloud in the immediate vicinity," the letter reads. "You should close your windows and outside vents, and turn off your heating/AC for 30 minutes. We also recommend that you bring your pets indoors during the implosion and for a period of 30 minutes thereafter."
Even if you don't live in that neighborhood, doesn't that seem horribly galling?
Animal cruelty unit
New Dallas County district attorney Susan Hawk went to the SPCA in a photo-op to announce her intent to expand the Animal Cruelty Unit in her office. The unit was started in 2012 and currently has one prosecutor and one investigator. She's planning on adding a second prosecutor, plus a community liaison to work with animal rights advocates and solicit funding.
Freeway shopping list
Armed with a $1.6 billion purse granted to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in the November 2014 election, officials are making their shopping list of road projects to build. Those include a direct roadway between State Highway 360 and Interstate 30 in Arlington, and connectors between the Dallas North Tollway, I-30 and Woodall Rodgers Freeway. TxDOT will hold meetings for public input on January 20 at 4 pm at its Dallas and Fort Worth district offices.
No love for Southern Gateway
Dallas City Council members Scott Griggs and Dwaine Caraway held a meeting on January 13 to discuss the Southern Gateway Project, TxDOT's attempt to improve traffic flow on I-35E in Oak Cliff. The design includes converting some HOV lanes to toll lanes, widening main and frontage lanes, and more.
The project would rebuild I-35 from Colorado Boulevard to US 67 and add reversible toll lanes, the first toll lanes in Dallas south of downtown. So if you didn't want to deal with the traffic, you could pay to bypass it, similar to what's being built on the LBJ Freeway and I-30.
The meeting attracted about 80 people; none of them like the idea.
Before the Sam's Club can be built in East Dallas, implosions must happen.
Award-winning patio at Taco Y Vino. Photo courtesy of Taco Y Vino