Gentrification Looms Large Over Historically Black Elm Thicket-Northpark Neighborhood
Share News:
Dr. Myrna Dartson
Special Contributor
As a proud legacy resident of the Elm Thicket/Northpark (ETNP) neighborhood, I am watching the community where I was raised be systematically eliminated. My desire is to do everything I can to save my neighborhood. I hope you will help me.
Beautiful cottage homes envelop this historic Black neighborhood. Many of the families living here are third- and fourth-generation family members. There is a familial camaraderie amongst us that has fostered life-long bonds. ETNP is a tranquil and safe community.
Change is upon us, however. The first set of new homes built in ETNP were three to four times the size of our cottages but at least they looked like homes. Those new neighbors were welcomed into our community. They are happy to live in a wonderful neighborhood and appreciate the history of their legacy neighbors.
This milieu has been disturbed by builders and developers who are constructing homes that do not fit the style and character of our established neighborhood. They are trying to rename our neighborhood “Inwood Park” because that is a “more sophisticated moniker.” It is disturbing that the developers reference our neighborhood with dog whistles by calling our homes shacks. They want to erase us and our history because we stand in the way of their profits.
ETNP history runs deep.
The Elm Thicket community was formed as one of several Freedmen communities in North Dallas according to the Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas.
The Hilliard Memorial Golf Park, the first municipal golf course in the south for Blacks, was opened in 1950 in ETNP. That pride they felt in having something they could call their own was short-lived. In 1954 the city took the land back along with most of the west and southwest portion of ETNP for the Love Field expansion.
Being forced to relocate from our homes and community for the sake of “progress” is also a part of our history. The voices of the previous generations of Black Dallasites were ignored and silenced when eminent domain came knocking.
The battle today is not with eminent domain.
City leaders said they would help us preserve our history.
District 2 Dallas City Councilman Adam Medrano selected ETNP in 2016 as a Neighborhood Plus Target Area. The mission statement for the ETNP neighborhood was “To support a diverse, safe neighborhood with quality housing, infrastructure, and institutions for all its residents, and to preserve and protect the legacy and heritage of this historic Dallas neighborhood.”
In 2017, one of the action items that came from the Neighborhood Plus initiative was to submit a neighborhood zoning case for an Authorized Hearing Steering Committee. This committee met 11 times this year and recommended several reasonable zoning changes to help preserve this historic Black neighborhood.
The most important recommendations that came from the committee were to limit the roof types for two-story homes and lowering the maximum height to 30 feet from 35 feet. Only 10 percent of the roof area can be flat or shed-style for two-story houses to allow for some architectural style. The need to lower the height is because some builders are building straight up to the maximum which leaves a 35-foot wall next to a neighbor’s home.
These changes are reasonable.
They will directly affect the quality of life of our residents by not having to stare at a 35-foot wall outside their kitchen window and protecting our cottages from runoff. These changes ensure that new homes will fit in the style and character of our established neighborhood. Where the committee fell short was having these recommendations cover the entire neighborhood.
The developers have taken to attacking our legacy residents who have voiced support of the proposed zoning changes. Once again, our voices are trying to be silenced through intimidation. The day after “Save Elm Thicket” yard signs appeared, the developers mocked the home of one of our Black legacy residents on their website with a picture of her modest 1950s-era home and asked, “What are they really trying to save?”
I will answer that question. We want to save our community, which is a big part of Dallas history. While developers can only think of generational wealth we think of generational history. The City of Dallas made a promise to us that they would help us preserve and protect ETNP. I am asking you to please join my neighbors and me in reminding our city leaders of their promise and help us save Elm Thicket/Northpark.
Dr. Myrna Dartson is a legacy resident whose family has lived in Elm Thicket/Northpark for almost 60 years. She is a licensed psychologist, and shares a private practice in Dallas with her identical twin sister.
27 Comments
Leave a Comment
Thanls for the article lets save our community it seems to be all we have
I was born here Elm Thicket/ North Park in 1965 and still leave here Raised 3 Successful children in this neighborhood
Dr. Dartson,
I thank you for writing this painfully beautiful piece. As I’ve said many times, this struggle is for our ancestors and our descendants. You have made both proud.
Eric
Thanks,Elmthicket, is a Historical Story from
Way back many years ago, Please let’s keep our Family Historical Background.
THANKS
Ms. Bertha Caro
6923 Robin Rd
Dallas, TX 75209-4814
Dr. Dartson,
Thank you for this awesome writing. We are present and standing strongly together for the history of Elm Thicket/North Park. I’ve been here since second grade and this has always been a neighborhood where everyone is welcome, we get to know our neighbors, our children have played and grown up together as a family. Let’s get it done!
I have family in that area and I totally support you and them in their quest to not be pushed out of their home with extreme high taxes and preserve the area. As a realtor, I see this all over the metroplex in predominantly African American and Latino communities.
Thank you Dr. Dartson for this great piece. I am also a legacy resident. Our history here is so important. I recently read an article that explains how gentrification is rooted in segregation. It does nothing but benefit some while displacing others. I’m not against gentrification, but there is definitely an ugly side to it. Thank you again. Nice to see our neighborhood mentioned here.
Thank you for the article. My sister and I have lived in ETNP since 1961. This home and want to keep it.
I was born and raised in 1961,, right here in Elm Thicket/North park,,right around the corner from my cousin Dr,Dartson our family was very as a matter of fact we all where very close to one another this Neighborhood was one big family we didn’t house alarm,,we could go to bed with the doors open,,I will continue to stand up for my Neighborhood ELM THICKET/NORTHPARK
I think Elm Thicket/North Park is a great name! Suggests lush trees and nature. “Inwood Park” sounds like something you see on the concrete neighborhood entry signs at just about any planned development community. I am sorry to see your neighborhood going through such turmoil, all too common in DFW. Our established Dallas County neighborhood — many residents living here for over 45 years — successfully fought back a tract home developer who wanted to cram 550 ugly homes onto a beautiful piece of land in the middle of our area. I wish you and all ETNP residents the best as you hold the City accountable and fight for the integrity and stability of your neighborhood. I hope that the neighborhood can benefit from some type of focused, respectful, thoughtful invigoration yet remain intact for all residents.
ETNP will always be home to me. My fondest and most cherished memories were made there. I stand in solidarity with my ETNP family and friends in their fight to preserve the legacy and history of our beloved community! We will always be a loving family of neighbors. Our resolve is unmatched!
I was raised there, I was schooled there and made life long friends there. Thank you for bringing light to this so we can preserve this part of our childhood and community.
Thank you for the lovely article, Dr. Dartson.
I’ve only been a resident of Elm Thicket since 2018, but I love my cottage and the original essence of the neighborhood. These tasteless, monolithic white boxes that are being built are soul crushing. They literally block the sunlight and loom over their neighbors as a constant reminder of systemic racism.
My name is Renee Scott. My brother and I grew up on Caillet Street. My maternal grandmother lived on Hopkins Ave. ETNP is so very rich in history. It is a family community.
It is “our village “. We knew every neighbor in our block. Growing up in ETNP represents heritage and pride that has stayed with me throughout my life.
Thank You Dr. Dartson for sharing such an eloquent and heartfelt piece on “our village “.
Blessings
Thank you, Dr. Dartson, for your excellent history and truths. I was raised on Caillet Street since the age of three and subsequently purchased my home to continue the legacy in raising my son in a neighborhood where everyone knew your name. We were all family and cared for one another. The City is failing us if they don’t put a stop to the greedy investors who are trying to erase our history.
Thank you, Dr. Dartson, for your impassioned write-up. I’ve lived in the ETNP neighborhood since 2007, and have never had my car or house broken into, or any of the crime you read about in Uptown and other “trendy” areas of Dallas. My neighbors here, we look out for each other and enjoy a diverse, interconnected sense of community. We can’t allow that to be corrupted by greedy developers who don’t represent (or care about) the history and vitality of at least this corner of the city. Stay strong. I fully support you and everyone who’s fighting the good fight to change zoning for the better here—and elsewhere. Much respect.
As a homeowner in ETNP, I don’t want the existing property rights to be taken away from anyone.
It is a choice to sell or not to sell a home and I’m not aware that anyone is being forced from their home. I’m not sure how that would even happen. I get calls from developers to purchase my home and I ignore them.
As I drive around the City of Dallas, I see new construction of homes everywhere, and they are mostly larger two-story homes. My point is that new construction of large homes is not unique to the ETNP neighborhood.
I don’t know of anyone that would want their existing property rights, or any rights for that matter, removed.
Our family resides on Morton St and we have been here for 30 plus years. Thank you for this article, my father still lives on this street and we look to stay here moving forward.
Because of the pandemic, taxes should be frozen across the board for the next five years. Now isn’t the time to be spending trillions trying to achieve the perfect entropic balance.
Well written and a great break down of history. My grandparents were domestics in HP. Which led to their purchase of our home. Thanks Dr. Dartson.
I agree with Dr. Dartson: the proposed Elm Thicket zoning laws are reasonable, and balance maintaining historic neighborhood character and individual property rights. However, I would ultimately consider a more restrictive historic overlay ordinance. Racism has been perpetuated through the real estate industry. Saving Elm Thicket would preserve tangible African-American history, and home ownership opportunities for economically modest individuals and families. This would perpetuate social justice instead of racism.
Racism is a barking term. Indeed, go out into any street in the neighborhood and start shouting racism and every dog on the block will join in and start barking – Uncle Emanuel Watkins.
Indeed, one should never grow so fond of a community or neighborhood to the extent that it becomes baggage. There might come a day that one needs to flee the urban rot to a simpler more peaceful life in the suburbs. Now is the time to consider selling that house. In twenty years, that neighborhood could become blighted.
Most of the folks in the neighborhood DO NOT want these changes. A very vocal minority led by Jonathan Maples have put this process in motion, and done so through avenues that allow them to get their awful recommendations in front of the city council. If this went to a true vote of the homeowners in the neighborhood, it would fail in spectacular fashion. At the last authorized hearing meeting that opened up to comment, 2/3rd of those commenting vehemently opposed these restrictions, with the exception of the duplex changes.
NOBODY that LIVES in the neighborhood is trying to change the name of the neighborhood to Inwood Park. There was one builder’s brochure referenced on the save etnp site with a date from 2018, yet you claim there’s some massive push to rename. There isn’t. Take this out of your talking points because it’s old, tired and untruthful.
Again we hear the same old sad tune. “What about the seniors? Where are they going to go?” They don’t have to go anywhere. Their property taxes are frozen and can be deferred altogether. You want people to feel bad that we’re being contacted by realtors all the time asking to sell? Too bad. That is happening in every neighborhood from ET/NP to Preston Hollow to Lakewood. Literally every neighborhood has this issue. This isn’t some hostile takeover. Older homes sold have been done so willingly and provided sellers with massive amounts of cash. Nobody is snatching land illegally. New development comes in and the only thing it’s done is make our neighborhood better. All this crying and moaning about property taxes rising is hot garbage. Don’t get mad at something our elected officials do and take it out on your neighbors.
If Candy’s Dirt wants a real story, they should investigate how crooked this process has been from the beginning. Find out how individuals were selected for the Authorized Hearing Steering Committee. They should also examine how the neighborhood association executive committee has, and continues to use their positions to further their own agenda. Jonathan Maples is the worst offender.
These recommendations strip current property owners of their rights. People who have saved their entire lives to purchase a home in this neighborhood and build exactly what they want are being punished. Property values will have an artificial cap from this overlay and people’s largest investment of their lives will be hindered as a result. The people leading the charge for these zoning changes will get in front of any media outlet they can to appeal to people’s emotions and make it sound as if they’re being victimized. Nothing could be further from the truth. I can’t wait until this gets in front of city council and these recommendations get squashed. I love my flat roof and I hope the empty lot next door gets one too!
Yeah when university n roper got those condos I knew what was next Sadly they’re going to property tax n/ p elm thicket Out….rezoning whatever to get what they want…
I was born and raised in ETNP. I have lived on my home for 53 years . This is. Wonderful place and we all know and love each other and respects all of our differences. Thank you Myrna for a lovely article
Hats off to you Dr Dartson for that amazing article. I was raised in this community since 1961 and have moved back because my Mom still resides here. The developers are about money and greed. They could care less about our history or interests. They have been taking all of their lives so let’s ban together and show them that we do love our community and we will do whatever it takes to keep it!!
Completely agree with Dr. Dartson.
This neighborhood is rich with history, family, and culture. I have lived here since birth (1964) and will continue to call Elm Thicket North Park my home in the future.
Thank you Myrna for sharing our story in such an honest way. Beautifully written!