Plans for a warehouse to be built in south Dallas are on hold after a Dallas County Civil Court judge granted an injunction Tuesday.
Friendship West Baptist Church has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop construction of a 200,000-square-foot warehouse on property next to the church, alleging it would cause irreparable harm.
Judge Aisha Redmond granted their request Tuesday and scheduled the trial for April 19.
Paul Stafford, an attorney representing the church, said in a statement that he hopes to resolve the issue with the city and developer.
“Based on the law and facts, and to prevent a real threat of imminent and irreparable harm to the community, the court made a fair and impartial decision that an injunction should be granted. Friendship “West Baptist Church and the entire community remain committed to resolving this matter with the City of Dallas, Stone Lake, and SL6,” Stafford said in a statement.
The city of Redmond heard hours of testimony and arguments Monday in a church lawsuit seeking to block Stonelake Capital Partners' planned warehouse development. The warehouse will be built on a property adjacent to the church property between Interstate 20 and Wheatland Road near Polk Street.
The city of Dallas denied a permit to build the warehouse in August, citing concerns about the route the trucks would take, but the city's Board of Appeals granted the permit in November. The church filed the lawsuit in December.
“We're here because the community has a voice that needs to be heard. Community voices have often been ignored, and this was a way for the community to speak out,” Friend said. said Ship West Pastor Frederick Haynes.
Before the hearing began Monday in George Allen Civil Court, Haines led a prayer with church supporters in the hallway.
Texas Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) visited the courtroom but did not speak. Mr. West came to show support for Friendship West, he said.
The hearing concerned the church's motion for a construction injunction pending a full trial in the case.
“We are trying to block the development and this project against the will of the community while the appeal is heard,” church lawyer Paul Stafford said.
Friendship West officials said the church plans to build housing on part of the vacant land it owns right next to the warehouse site.
However, most of the concerns centered on the environmental and safety impacts of truck traffic to and from the warehouse.
According to testimony, the Texas Department of Transportation did not allow direct access to Interstate 20 from the warehouse site.
Maps in court records show the developer's plan to divert trucks to Polk Street and Wheatland Road to avoid the church and Carter High School further west on Wheatland Road.
Neighbors living in nearby homes near Wheatland complain they will continue to face truck congestion.
“We don't want Wheatland Road to suffer any more damage from 18-wheelers,” Haynes said.
Representatives for the developer argued in court that there was no legal reason to shut down the warehouse.
They said the zoning of the site 20 years ago allowed for commercial land use.
Former Dallas City Councilman Lee Kleinman, who currently works for the development company as a consultant for Master Plan, testified about the case in court.
“In my opinion, property rights trump community,” Kleinman said.
The developer's attorney, Joel Reese, declined to be interviewed outside court. He said at the hearing that not a single witness testified that the plan was illegal.
“This is a courtroom,” Reese said.
Haynes said the property's commercial designation could be changed due to Dallas' pending land use update, “Forward Dallas.” He said what's really needed in the area is affordable housing.
Stonelake Capital Partners also builds apartments and office buildings, according to the company's website.
“What they're saying is, regardless of what the community wants, we want to make this happen anyway,” Haynes said.
Mr. Stafford said during his testimony that the company would not propose a warehouse so close to the North Dallas residences of business associates.
