Dallas officials may rezone Deep Ellum to improve area’s nightlife

More than two years ago, Dallas officials began working with Deep Ellum businesses and residents to address concerns about safety and noise levels, especially at night.

Those recommendations are expected to be unveiled Thursday when the City Planning Commission votes on authorizing a public hearing.

At the center of the discussion is a plan to rezone the 274-acre area and require restaurants and bars to obtain a special use permit after midnight. The rezoning could also introduce noise regulations to meet the needs of an entertainment district that includes live music venues as well as residential buildings.

This week’s vote won’t change the area’s zoning. It will simply invite community input. But those involved in the future of the shopping district say it’s a step forward in lifting the burden of the neighborhood’s perceived dangers as crime rates continue to decline.

A memo from the city’s planning department notes that several venues in the entertainment center have occupancy certificates that are typically reserved for restaurants that aren’t open after hours. That means two bars on the same street with the same clientele and music system could look different on paper and have different safety rules to follow.

Stephanie Keller Hudiburg, executive director of the Deep Ellum Foundation, said it’s a big challenge for a nightspot that prides itself on its historic ties to music and the arts and is most popular on Saturday nights.

Related:Deep Ellum Personality Showdown: Business Center by Day, Dallas Hot Spot by Night

Recent incidents of injuries and shootings have also occurred between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m.

“A ‘late-night occupancy permit’ requirement could level the playing field and increase accountability as all late-night venues would have to follow the same regulations regarding safety measures and alcohol sales,” she added.

Overnight permitting is a key component of Deep Ellum’s community safety plan.

In 2022, partners from across the city — such as the Dallas Police Department and the Code Compliance Division — worked with Deep Ellum businesses, residents and Council Member Jesse Moreno, who oversees the district, to release a plan with recommendations to enforce parking regulations, improve streets, address homelessness and add a security force to monitor the district, among other things.

Deep Ellum is also experiencing exponential growth as newer apartment buildings are built. Another task force focused on noise levels in the neighborhood has developed a system of levels to designate what noise levels are allowed in the mostly residential part of the neighborhood, which protects the neighborhood’s nightlife.

Jon Hetzel, president of the Deep Ellum Foundation, said similar measures have benefited entertainment centers like Lower Greenville, where crime peaked in 2007-08.

With funding to improve crosswalks, lighting and streets, and the introduction of a midnight business permit in Lower Greenville, “violent crime and the perception of violent crime changed almost overnight,” Hetzel said.

“Nightlife is extremely important, but it must be done responsibly,” he said.