Savor Summer
CREATING COMMUNITY
FOUNDED BY BROTHERS EVAN AND JORDAN AUGUST, August Real Estate Co. is a Dallas-based development firm with a clear mission: to create high-quality, design forward spaces that honor the history of the city while pushing its culture and economy forward.
Their work is guided by a deep commitment to authenticity, long-term community investment, and a hospitality-driven approach that makes every building feel like a natural part of the neighborhood it serves.
At the heart of August Real Estate Co.’s philosophy is the belief that great cities are built on a blend of the old and the new and that thoughtful, beautiful design can be a bridge between legacy and innovation. Their developments are more than real estate projects; they’re gathering spaces, creative campuses, and landmarks that reflect the evolving identity of Dallas.
Their journey began with a piece of history: the Continental Gin Building (CGB) in Deep Ellum.
A 130-year-old icon, the CGB became the company’s first and foundational property. With careful restoration and vision, August Real Estate Co.’s transformed it into a dynamic mixeduse hub.
It’s now home to a growing roster of forward-thinking companies like Colossal, a pioneering biotech firm making waves in the field of de-extinction and conservation. Another notable company, Access Fares is a key player in the travel technology sector, known for its innovation in airfare consolidation and premium travel solutions. These companies are a reflection of the kind of innovation and momentum that August Real Estate Co. is proud to support and house.
But it’s not just about office space. The building features Tatsu Dallas, the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the city, which is an intimate, refined omakase experience curated by Chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi. Culpepper Cattle Co., located on-site as well, brings a more rustic Texas charm, serving classic comfort food with a modern twist. Together, these establishments add another layer of vibrancy and culture to the Deep Ellum community.
In East Dallas, the company is continuing its mission with one of its most prominent properties — Lakewood Tower. A nine-story, 120,000-square-foot office building, it represents August Real Estate Co.’s commitment to adaptive reuse and long-term value. Rather than fo cusing on national chains or large corporate tenants, the building is home to a diverse range of local businesses from your trusted child’s pediatrician at Pecan Tree Pediatrics to neighborhood like furniture company Worthington Direct. Creative agencies, planning consultants, and wellness professionals all work side-by-side in a space that reflects the eclectic and entrepreneurial spirit of East Dallas.
Designed to be both timeless and functional, Lakewood Tower reflects the neighborhood’s charm while embracing the modern needs of today’s professionals and small businesses.
“East Dallas is one of the most dynamic areas in our city, rich in culture, history, and benefits from favorable proximity to lifestyle amenities like Deep Ellum, Fair Park, the Santa Fe Trail, and White Rock Lake. Mean -
while, we felt the office, retail, and multi-family markets are lacking in both quantity and quality. We’re focused on bridging that supply/demand gap with amenity-rich, mixed-use developments,” says co-founder Evan August.
Another standout in their portfolio is 333 1st Avenue, a creative and hospitality-inspired office space in Deep Ellum with modern infrastructure nestled in a historic building. With open ceilings, minimal column interruptions, and ample natural light, it offers flexibility and energy that’s perfect for today’s collaborative work environments. 333 1st serves as the corporate headquarters for Embark, a financial consulting firm founded in Dallas who’s client rooster includes Hello Fresh and Omni Hotels & Resorts.
Rounding out their development footprint is Expo Park, a sprawling, 400,000-squarefoot mixed-use district on the doorsteps of Fair Park. Made up of 17 buildings across nine acres, Expo Park blends residential, creative, retail and office spaces to form a vibrant community hub. Artists, small businesses, and residents all call this place home, making it one of the most uniquely dynamic areas in the city.
From revitalizing historic landmarks to creating new community anchors, August Real Estate Co. is shaping a bold, thoughtful future for Dallas. With a focus on quality, culture, and longterm investment, Evan and Jordan August are proving that development can be as soulful as it is smart and that when design and intention come together, entire neighborhoods thrive.
LAKE HIGHLANDS ADVOCATE VOL. 32 NO. 6
From 2015 to 2024, there were more fatal accidents on Abrams Road than Royal Lane, Greenville Avenue, Walnut Hill Lane and Preston Road, data obtained by the Advocate shows. Photo by Kathy Tran. Read more on page 20. DINING 16 Chefika FEATURES
DISTRIBUTION/ ADVERTISING 214.560.4212
President/Editor-in-Chief: Jehadu Abshiro jabshiro@advocatemag.com
Chief Operating Officer: Alessandra Quintero 786.838.5891 / aquintero@advocatemag.com
Digital Marketing & Analytics: Autumn Grisby agrisby@advocatemag.com
Founder: Rick Wamre
214.560.4212 / rwamre@advocatemag.com
Custom Content: Sally Wamre 214.686.3593 / swamre@advocatemag.com
ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS
Frank McClendon 214.560.4215 / fmcclendon@advocatemag.com
Catherine Pate 214.560.4201 / cpate@advocatemag.com
Linda Kenney lkenney@advocatemag.com
Brandon Rodriguez 972-754-3942 / brodriguez@advocatemag.com
Kennedy Cox 214-796-8626 / kcox@advocatemag.com
Classified Manager: Prio Berger 214.292.0493 / pberger@advocatemag.com
EDITORS: Alyssa High ahigh@advocatemag.com
Jillian Nachtigal jnachtigal@advocatemag.com
Austin Wood awood@advocatemag.com
Madelyn Edwards medwards@advocatemag.com
Senior Art Director: Jynnette Neal jneal@advocatemag.com
Creative Director/Photographer: Lauren Allen lallen@advocatemag.com
Contributors: Patti Vinson, Carol Toler, Sam Gillespie, Niki Gummadi
Contributing photographers: Kathy Tran, Yuvie Styles, Victoria Gomez, Amani Sodiq, Rae Overman, Cat Iler, Jenni Cholula, Austin Gibbs, Ethan Good, Tanner Garza, Gabriel Cano, Brandon Gonzalez
Advocate (c) 2024 is published monthly in print and daily online by Advocate Media - Dallas Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation based in Dallas and first published in 1991. Contents of this print magazine may not be reproduced. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for the content of all advertisements and sponsorships printed, and therefore assume responsibility for any and all claims against the Advocate. The Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject ay editorial, advertising or sponsorship material in print or online. Opinions set forth in Advocate publications are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the Publisher’s viewpoint. More than 180,000 people read Advocate publications in print each month; Advocate online publications receive more than 4 million pageviews monthly. Advertising rates and guidelines are available upon request. Advocate print and online publications are available free of charge throughout our neighborhoods, one print copy per reader. For information about supporting our non-profit mission of providing local news to neighborhood readers, please call 214-5604212 or email aquintero@advocatemag.com.
Mural on Mattison Avenue Salon Suites & Spa on Garland Road. Art by Christopher Gonzalez @cjosephart Photography by Lauren Allen.
FOLLOW US:
Talk to us: editor@advocatemag.com
Newsletter: advocatemag.com/newsletter
WHO REPRESENTS YOU?
Story by ALYSSA HIGH
In the City of Dallas, council members may come to mind. But behind every council member are topical boards and commissions that advise the council. Volunteer-based positions are appointed by council members for their district, with exceptions for district-only boards. Often we see the same 10 people in our neighborhoods jumping up to volunteer and speak out for their community, but volunteers can only serve on two. So where are the people who represent you?
When a charter amendment passed last year that allowed the public to sue the City for not complying with laws outlined in the charter, a petition signed by more than 80 neighborhood leaders came forth, demanding that the City remove those who have exceeded their term or be sued. The letter alluded to a number of commissioners fitting this bill without naming many names.
So, we did a deep dive into the City’s database of all boards and commissions and their members.
WHAT ARE THE RULES TO PLAY?
Council members begin the nomination process during August of every odd year. Nominees:
• Must live in the city for at least six months.
• Must have no serious convictions.
• Must not have pending litigation against the City or a City employee.
• Must not owe any taxes or other obligations to the City.
• Must not be an employee of the City.
• Does not have to live in the district for which they are appointed, unless expressly noted.
• May serve a maximum of four consecutive two-year terms with at least one term elapsed before being on the same board again.
Another notable issue is that 75 commissioners reside in a different district than they serve across district-based boards/ commissions. While this is allowed per the City Charter and residence in or prior knowledge of a district is not required for service, it highlights a problem that we’re all aware of but rarely see evidence of: Residents of several wealthy neighborhoods (like 14, which makes up the majority of those serving in other districts) have a greater voice in City Hall than the rest of us.
Additionally, each districtbased board or commission also holds space for a commissioner nominated by the mayor, who is also required to appoint a chair of the commission from the members appointed. Of these positions, six out of 22 (27%) are vacant, and two are past their term limit.
D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 0 D10 D11 D12 D13 0 D14
OUTOF57TOTAL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS:
21 ARE REINVESTMENT ZONES 112 POSITIONS 14 GROUPED MISCELLANEOUS (THEY ARE NOT REINVESTMENT ZONES OR DISTRICT-BASED BUT ARE TOPICAL OR GEOGRAPHICAL.) 123 POSITIONS
22 ARE DISTRICT-BASED 330 POSITIONS
LAKE HIGHLANDS - DISTRICT 9, 10 AND 13
Like most of Dallas’ major neighborhoods, City Council districts exceed the boundaries of what we consider Lake Highlands. It’s important to acknowledge that, while these numbers are for the totality of Districts 9, 10 and 13, District 13 is a small part of our Lake Highlands coverage area. We have included District 13 because it covers Vickery Meadow, and District 9 because it creeps into Lake Highlands from the south.
DISTRICT 9
O VACANCIES
O COMMISSIONERS SERVING PAST THEIR TERM LIMIT
DISTRICT 10
VACANCIES
(VACANCIES ARE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, ETHICS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION.)
O
COMMISSIONERS SERVING PAST THEIR TERM LIMIT
DISTRICT 13
O VACANCIES
COMMISSIONERS WHO LIVE IN OTHER DISTRICTS
COMMISSIONERS FROM D9 ARE SERVING IN OTHER DISTRICTS
COMMISSIONERS WHO LIVE IN OTHER DISTRICTS
O COMMISSIONERS FROM D10 ARE SERVING IN OTHER DISTRICTS
O COMMISSIONERS SERVING PAST THEIR TERM LIMIT
COMMISSIONERS WHO LIVE IN OTHER DISTRICTS
COMMISSIONERS FROM D13 ARE SERVING IN OTHER DISTRICTS
There are THREE REINVESTMENT ZONES in our neighborhood: Vickery Meadow (2 vacancies), Skillman Corridor (1 vacancy) and TOD (0 vacancies).
OUT OF 330 POSITIONS IN DISTRICT-BASED BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, 44 ARE VACANT / 75 RESIDE IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT THAN THEY SERVE / 25 ARE AT THE END OF THEIR ALLOWED TERM, UNABLE TO SERVE AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEIR SEATS WILL BE UP FOR GRABS / 235 ARE ON CITYWIDE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
HOW CAN THOSE INTERESTED IN FILLING VACANCIES GET INVOLVED?
Explore the City’s boards and commissions webpage to see available positions. Fill out an online application. Introduce yourself to the council member who is set to make the appointments in the fall and keep in communication.
*All data represented in this story was taken from the City of Dallas Boards & Commissions website and, thus, is likely to have errors. Data was pulled on May 5, 2025, and is reflective of information available on the website at that time. Additionally, while we are sure that lots of time and effort go into carefully choosing the boundary lines for City Council districts, to our untrained eyes, it looks like a mis-filled color-by-numbers sheet. Most of the districts exceed our neighborhood and coverage boundaries, so district data is reflective of more than just the neighborhood. I mean, look at District 2. What is that?
100 days with Kimberly Tolbert
Story by MADELYN EDWARDS
AS OF EARLY MAY,
Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has spent 100 days as the official Dallas city manager.
Technically, Tolbert served as interim city manager for more than half a year before being appointed to the position permanently by a 13-2 Dallas City Council vote on Jan. 22. She made history as the first Black woman to have that role.
In February 2024, former City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced he would resign. Broadnax reportedly had a tense relationship with Mayor Eric Johnson and some members of the council, and he endured controversies, like when the City unintentionally deleted Dallas Police Department files containing evidence and investigations. He is now the Austin city manager.
We reached out to Tolbert’s staff for an interview, but we were unable to book an appointment with her by the press deadline. So, the following list of her major activities since being appointed was sourced from the web.
PUBLIC SAFETY
In her first 100 days, Tolbert finalized two big hires — Daniel Comeaux as the new police chief and Justin Ball as the new Dallas Fire-Rescue chief. While Ball was promoted from within his department, Tolbert took a different approach to the police chief by hiring Comeaux, the former Drug Enforcement Administration’s Houston Field Division special agent in charge.
Tolbert is also reportedly working with developers on a police academy project that would include a training center and a public safety complex. Respectively, these facilities would have classrooms, reality-based training, a criminal justice center, an auditorium, an indoor multi-purpose training space, indoor and outdoor firearms training, a tactical village, and an emergency vehicle obstacle course.
The updated plan was presented to the Dallas City Council in April and drew some concern over the cost, which was about $150 million in March but wasn’t updated in April.
REAL ESTATE & PERMITTING
In April, Tolbert decided to halt all city real estate purchases after it was revealed previous City leadership bought a $14 million office building with multiple fire code violations a few years ago. The issues with the building were discovered after some staffers moved into it. In her report, Tolbert said the building is no longer needed for permitting because of the new online land management system, and the space on North Stemmons Freeway will be sold. She is also working toward a comprehensive citywide real estate master plan.
That new online system is DallasNow, which was launched in May. DallasNow moves some functions of planning and development online, like submitting applications, plan reviews and issuing permits.
PARKING PERMITTING PAINS
Story by JILLIAN NACHTIGAL
After years of discussion, city council approved parking reform for Dallas on May 14.
Chapters 51 and 51A of the Dallas City Code determine parking areas’ location, design and how much off-street parking must exist per land use. These regulations impact housing affordability, economic development potential, environmental resiliency, safety and walkability in Dallas. Amendments are being considered which would shift the approach from one-sizefits-all numerical requirements to a framework prioritizing context-sensitive travel demand management, multi-modal transportation options and well-designed parking facilities.
The reform looks to dismantle strict parking mandates to allow for more housing and small business opportunities.
Jake Ettinger, District 1 policy advisor and community liaison, says the parking reform will primarily help small businesses.
Restaurants and bars, particularly those under 2,500 square feet, could see mandates completely waived. For buildings over 2,500 square feet, one space per 200 square feet for sales and seating area would be required.
Parking requirements are recommended to be removed for office use and downtown, with no parking for any use within 1/2-mile of light rail and streetcar stations and downtown districts.
According to the proposal, parking minimums would also be reduced for hotels, commercial amusements and places of worship, with designated historic buildings having minimums mostly removed.
Additionally, Ettinger says this could make housing more afforda-
ble in the city, as part of the cost of housing right now is unused parking spots. Multi-family dwellings will see a decrease in parking requirements from one space per bedroom to one-half space per unit.
Other council members, such as District 10’s Kathy Stewart, intitially did not agree with all aspects of the parking reform.
“From a multi-family perspective, what came out of (City Plan and Zoning Commission) was the onehalf space per unit, and I just don’t think that works in District 10 or in District 12,” Stewart says. “We have a lot of multi-family that is adjacent to single-family, and we already have examples of where property managers put some impediments, of some things in the way of people parking multiple cars, like they’ll charge an extra fee for your second car.”
Stewart ended up voting for the parking reform, while District 12 council member Cara Mendelsohn was the sole dissenting vote.
In some cases, residents opt out of parking in the parking facility, and they go to park on the public streets in the single family neighborhoods, Stewart says. This can be disruptive to people who live on those streets. Currently, the city requires one parking spot per bedroom. Ettinger says this doesn’t always make sense for multifamily housing.
“If you have two young kids that don’t have a car, why do they need a parking spot?” Ettinger says. “As a city, big picture when we think about what housing is going to look like, 10, 20, 30 years from now, if we want families to not just be confined to single family homes, but also have the option if they want to live in townhouses or multi family that’s well designed, we’re going to need this.”
A Q&A WITH CHIEF OF POLICE DANIEL C. COMEAUX
Story by ADVOCATE STAFF
WHAT EXPERIENCES ARE YOU BRINGING TO DPD FROM YOUR DIVERSE EXPERIENCES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT?
I’ve been in law enforcement for over 33 years. I feel like I’m uniquely qualified for these positions from all the places that I have policed in some very large police departments, but also some smaller police departments, like when I policed in Mississippi, in Gulfport and Jackson, where there’s a lot of poverty areas. I’ve policed across the entire United States — San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston.
WHY DALLAS?
Dallas has always had the reputation of being one of the top police departments. When I started the search on where I wanted to work — I actually did a Google search, and we know Google does not lie — I put in there, ‘What are the best police departments in the United States?’ And one of the ones that came up was Dallas. I started really focusing on Dallas, and when it came open, I was like, ‘I can’t believe this is open. Let’s go for it.’
WHAT
ARE YOUR GOALS?
First of all, we’re going to try and hire more officers. I understand what’s happening there. We’re going to be very aggressive in trying to hire more officers, but I also want the police officers to understand that the residents want us here.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT YOU WANT TO TACKLE?
Anyone out there who’s in Dallas, especially those who have felony warrants, should be worried about us knocking on their door, because we want to get all of those felony warrants off the street.
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY?
The community will know me. Every area of Dallas will get to know me. If they want to meet me, I will come. Not only me, my command staff will come.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
DISTRICT 10’S 2024 CRIME REPORT CARD
Overall violent crime, car thefts and larcenies fell while murders & business burglaries increased
Story by AUSTIN WOOD
Thirteen murders were recorded in District 10 in 2024, up from 10 in 2023.
While murders fell citywide by more than 26% from 248 to 183 overall, public safety officials did not see similar successes in Lake Highlands. Most of the District 10 murders took place along Forest Lane and northern Audelia Road.
While murders fell citywide by more than 26% from 248 to 183 overall, public safety officials did not see similar successes in Lake Highlands. Most of the District 10 murders took place along Forest Lane and northern Audelia Road.
In a statement sent to the Advocate , representatives from the Dallas Police Department said they have a plan for improving public safety in the area.
“I think what you have to do is go back to the people who are working on these issues and help them see what’s happening in your district,” District 10 Council Member Kathy Stewart says. “Explain what you’re concerned about and ask what they’re doing to address the violence. You just keep working on those resources like Project Safe Neighborhoods. I’ve talked to the assistant U.S. attorney as well, they’re bringing resources to the Forest and Audelia area. So I feel like we have made progress so far this year.”
According to the City Council’s weekly crime report from April 30, District 10 has recorded two murders so far in 2025, down from the five recorded at the same time in 2024. Stewart says she is looking to create a public improvement district for Forest Lane to create sustainable results in the area.
Overall, District 10 saw a reduction in violent crime from 2023 to 2024 — as did the city as a whole — with drops in nonfamily violence
aggravated assault, simple assault, robberies and sex offenses.
“I think overall, the violent crime reduction plan that (former) Chief (Eddie) Garcia put in is amazing,” Stewart says.
“It has had some amazing results.”
The Violent Crime Reduction plan was put in place in 2021 after three years of year-over-year increases in violent crime. The plan identifies targeted areas — like Forest-Audelia — and outlines enforcement and prevention strategies to tackle these “hot spots.”
However, through May 13, District 10 has recorded year-over-year increases in aggravated assaults and kidnapping/ abductions in 2025.
Thefts of motor vehicles, shoplifting and other theft categories recorded drops in District 10 in 2024. Stewart says that a major vehicle theft ring was busted last year, which she believes is responsible for part of the drop.
“We identify areas with the highest weekly increase in crime and each watch commander executes a weekly operational plan. In addition, our Neighborhood Police Officers (NPOs) take a proactive approach by engaging with the community to speak with and educate the community regarding safety measures,” DPD wrote in a statement.
Burglaries of homes and businesses both increased in 2024. Business burglaries saw the highest spike with 349 cases recorded in 2024, up from 279 in 2023. DPD has not identified a pattern in the burglaries in District 10, according to a statement.
As of May 13, 121 business burglaries have been reported in District 10 in 2025, up from the 104 reported through the same period in 2024.
Most data in this story was obtained directly from the 2024 Year End DPD City Council Report. 2025 data was pulled from weekly City Council reports.
for the neighborhood, by the neighborhood
IN NORTH LAKE HIGHLANDS, THE DALLAS GREENING INITIATIVE IS BRINGING A NEW PARK
Story by AUSTIN WOOD
As you drive down Bushmills Road near the intersection of Forest Lane and Audelia Road, a cul-de-sac bookends the street.
Homes sit on the right and lefthand sides of the circle, which abuts a 5.4-acre City of Dallas property sitting on the Jackson Branch of White Rock Creek. Residents used to sit by the creek to rest or chat before overgrown tree branches, bushes and weeds eventually obscured the view. To the right sits a large field with sporadically mowed grass which turns brown and lifeless come summer and winter.
But, before the end of 2026, the site will be transformed into a vibrant new green space and park teeming with native flora as part of the Dallas Greening Initiative. DGI was started in 2022 after Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called for an inventory of all unused city-owned land in an effort to end “park deserts,” which disproportionately affect lower-income communities and bring outdoor green spaces
to the over 300,000 residents who do not have access to a park within a 10-minute walk.
“It would be great because we would just walk into our backyard, and we'll be right there,” says Raul Rivera, a seven-year neighborhood resident who also says his parents often drive long distances to find a playground for his siblings.
The city has partnered with the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit focused on bringing parks and green spaces to underserved communities, on the initiative.
“We know that spending 20 minutes outside significantly lessens stress. It lowers your cortisol levels. It's called a nature RX, a prescription to get outside,” says TPL State Director Molly Morgan. “Dallas has some of the most stressful mental health statistics in the country, and so providing a green space is a really easy and cost-effective way to lower stress levels in communities. It also provides neighbors a place to, one,
increase their physical activity, but two, meet each other and get to know the community around them.”
Using TPL data on park access throughout Dallas, the nonprofit and city identified 15 sites for new parks. A park will be built in each Dallas City Council district, and the project has an estimated budget of $10.25 million sourced from 2024 Bond funding and matching private donations.
Five sites, including the District 10 site tentatively known as the “Bushmills Road Site,” were identified as pilot projects for the initiative. The decision was made after assessing need and resident feedback.
“Actually, a neighbor in this community read about the project and had advocated for this site for some time,” Morgan says. “And so it was a mixture of us looking at things, working with the city on feasibility and then also community members who are already advocating for stuff with the city.”
TPL is responsible for project man -
agement and gathering input from the community — a process which the nonprofit has engaged in over the last two years. Three community meetings have been held at each site, surveys were opened to residents and neighbors have been able to post design ideas for their park on the DGI website’s idea wall.
At the D10 site, neighbors expressed their desire for a calm, nature-focused green space as opposed to a “big flashy Klyde Warren in their backyard.”
“At first, there was a little honest skepticism,” Morgan says. “Because sometimes people think that you're going to come in and build an enormous park site in their backyard.”
To that end, site plans unveiled earlier this year show a public space reminiscent of White Rock Lake in its approach, with winding nature paths and benches emphasized over programming and a large playground space. An open lawn will replace the overgrown field to the right of the cul-de-sac, a
wildlife viewing station overlooking the creek will give neighbors a glance at urban fauna, and a pollinator garden will invite butterflies and honey bees to the site.
While there may not be a large playground or event pavilion, there will be a small nature play area and picnic table space near the open lawn.
“I think the most rewarding thing for me is that there are neighbors here who have watched and lived next to the site for a super long time and that are not only voicing their desires for it, but are excited about the progress that's made and what's going to happen here,” Morgan says.
A bridge crossing over the creek, which will be cleaned up and have native flora added to its banks, is planned to be added at a later date than other features.
Each site has a budget under $750,000, with the cost of the D10 site expected to exceed $400,000. The project will break ground this June and has a projected completion timeline of
12-18 months. After completion, Dallas’ Department of Parks and Recreation will be responsible for maintenance at each site. Each site has 10% of its budget allocated for ongoing maintenance by TPL.
“We're also forming friends of groups for each of the parks, business or volunteer groups, and providing some resources to them so that they know who to call when something happens,” Morgan says. “They know what they can and cannot do on-site, how they can help when things are needed.”
The remaining 10 sites will be built in the coming years in two cohorts, set to be completed over two to three years each.
“I think after COVID, we're experiencing what the surgeon general called a loneliness epidemic. Being isolated is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” Morgan says. “And if we can provide a place for people to come and be together, especially a green space that provides these other benefits, it's so critical."
food
Owner Sam Sensel’s Turkish menu is refined from decades of experience in the cuisine.
TURKISH DELIGHTS
Chefika’s Turkish Mediterranean flavors lie at the intersection of high-end and casual
Story by SIMON PRUITT
Photography by KATHY TRAN
“EVEN
TODAY, TALKING TO YOU, I’M STILL SHAKING,” SAYS SERDAR SENSEL.
It’s a Wednesday afternoon. Sensel, who goes by Sam, is sitting inside Chefika, his latest restaurant concept. Named after his mother, Sefika, the Turkish-Mediterranean eatery opened in Preston Hollow Village in August 2024. After just six days of opening, Sensel is already noticing repeat customers.
This is no surprise though. Sensel is a career restaurateur, working in the high-end service industry since his upbringing in Turkey. He cut his teeth at five-star Hilton Hotels and the acclaimed Sahara Mediterranean Restaurant in New York City. In 2012, Sensel opened Pera Turkish Kitchen in North Dallas with his half-brother Habip Kargin. By 2016, Sensel needed something of his own. He opened Istanbul Grill close to his then-home in downtown Fort Worth.
“We had a full setup. Tablecloths, white wine glasses, red wine glasses, everything,” he says. “But I saw a lot of people scared to come in. I’m losing customers thinking it’s too expensive or dressy.”
Sensel noticed the problem and changed course, opting for a more casual, BYOB approach.
Both locations are still open and thriving, but Sensel has moved his family to Uptown. He wanted to open something fresh and closer to home. Chefika was born, taking over the old Tricky Fish space at Preston Hollow Village.
Chefika’s menu is similar to the two Istanbul Grill locations, but not identical, with the new restaurant offering a full bar and in-house bakery atop a slightly higher-end aesthetic. The dishes are still Turkish-Mediterranean based, the distinction being very intentional for Sensel.
“Israeli people say Mediterranean. The Arabic people say Med-
iterranean,” Sensel says. “Some of the [dish] names are the same, [like] kebabs, but [we use] as different marinade; we’re lighter, not much is mixed. We use Turkish crushed pepper. It’s very simple.”
The Mediterranean food label can often be a blanket term, with customers walking in with a certain expectation of the menu.
“Tabbouleh is not Turkish, falafel is not Turkish,” Sensel says, referring to two of the most popular Mediterranean dishes. “Falafel belongs to a more Middle Eastern restaurant. That’s why I say Turkish Mediterranean — whatever you see on the menus came from Turkey.”
For those who might be unfamiliar with Turkish cuisine, Sensel says the Hunkar Be ğ endi is Chefika’s signature.
It’s a beef tenderloin cut into small pieces, then sauteed with grilled red and green peppers. Then fresh creamy eggplant on top. For $23, it’s a substantial portion that lives up to his recommendation. With selling points this good, you’ll probably have to order a few more things off the menu too.
Chefika’s lamb shish kabob is an excellent take on a classic dish, the same can be said about its standard hummus appetizer. As for appetizers, their paçanga böre ğ i, a traditional Turkish dish with cheese or beef stuffed inside a flaky pastry crust, was fantastic. After that, enjoy a small Turkish coffee, but be warned that it is both very strong and very hot. If you still have room, or if you have an event on the horizon, peruse Chefika’s baked goods offerings, all freshly made from their in-house bakery.
“I like the restaurant business,” Sensel says. “I like the people, I like to see you happy. After that, I’m happy.”
Chefika, 7859 Walnut Hill Lane, 214.758.0155, chefikadallas.com
CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
BEST ART GALLERY
WINNER - YOGA ART MUSIC (YAM DALLAS)
2ND - DUTCH ART GALLERY
3RD - KABUBI ART
BEST BOOKSTORE/LIBRARY
WINNER - AUDELIA ROAD BRANCH LIBRARY
2ND - FOREST GREEN BRANCH LIBRARY
3RD - AWESOME COMICS
BEST DANCE COMPANY
WINNER - AMANDA DALTON SCHOOL OF DANCE
2ND - LAKE HIGHLANDS DANCE ACADEMY
3RD - BALLET NORTH TEXAS CONSERVATORY
BEST EVENT VENUE
WINNER - KAYCEE CLUB, INC.
2ND - JUPITER GARDENS EVENT CENTER
3RD - JJ'S BANQUET HALL
BEST INDOOR ACTIVITY
WINNER - ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA LAKE HIGHLANDS
2ND - LAKE HIGHLANDS FAMILY YMCA
3RD - MOVEMENT ROCK CLIMBING
BEST LIVE MUSIC
WINNER - DALLAS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDEN
2ND - VECTOR BREWING
3RD - ONE NOSTALGIA
BEST MEMBERS-ONLY CLUB
WINNER - ROYAL OAKS COUNTRY CLUB
2ND - DALLAS ELKS
3RD - LAKE HIGHLANDS JUNIOR WOMEN'S LEAGUE
BEST PARK
WINNER - WHITE ROCK LAKE
2ND - LAKE HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY GARDEN
3RD - WINFREY POINT
BEST PLACE FOR DOGS
WINNER - FLAG POLE HILL
2ND - WHITE ROCK DOG PARK
3RD - LAKE HIGHLANDS PARK
BEST THEATER
WINNER - SHAKESPEARE DALLAS
2ND - EAST DALLAS ARTS
Food and Drink winners will be featured in our August issue. To nominate your favorite business in the remaining categories (shopping) for our Best Of 2025 competition, email aquintero@ advocatemag.com
DEATHONABRAMS
PhotographyStorybyAUSTINWOOD byKATHYTRAN
It was a clear Monday afternoon — a break from the oftentimes gray and overcast weather Dallas sees in December — as Kelley Hurst drove home, headed northbound on Abrams Road nearing Forest Meadow Middle School.
Driving onward, a flurry of ambulances, patrol cars and fire engines rushed past. She says she had never seen “such a response,” and that her son had heard a loud crash a street or two away. So, after parking at her house nearby, she walked down the street to investigate and turned on Abrams, facing toward the school.
“I was speechless,” Hurst says. “I mean, the two parts of the car were so far apart. I can’t even really imagine what had happened.”
In the middle of a median, wrapped around a small tree, the shattered front half of a McLaren 570S showed no signs of movement from the passenger cabin. Dallas Police got a call to respond at approximately 3:10 p.m. The rear portion of the vehicle, completely detached, could be found further away.
Another vehicle, a Toyota Corolla driven by a 44-year-old woman listed on the Texas Department of Transportation crash report as a “possible injury,” was also involved in the crash and sustained heavy front-end damage.
“She was facing east away from me, but I just saw her sitting there, and emergency personnel were checking her out, and then she was gone,” Hurst says. “Most of the emergency vehicles left, because there was an ambulance and a fire truck, and there wasn’t anybody else to save.”
There wasn’t.
“I’m seeing the group text
messages lighting up that something horrible had happened, apparently one mother’s child saw the deceased gentleman hanging out of his car,” resident Megan DuBose says.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation crash report obtained by the Advocate , the driver, 29-year-old Cristobal Flores Espino, and his passenger, 31-year-old Robert Rocha, showed no signs of life when Dallas Fire-Rescue arrived at the scene.
A luxury car had been totaled, a woman left shaken up, and two young lives snuffed out.
All near an active school zone designated for Forest Meadow Middle School, which would release its students from class no later than a half-hour later.
Parent GroupMe chats and Facebook groups swirled with shock, confusion, concern, but above all, outrage as rumors circulated of 100 mph plus speeds. At a March community meeting, DPD officers estimated the actual speed to be closer to 50-60 mph in a stretch of Abrams with a 40 mph speed limit.
“No one wants to see people who are speeding lose their lives, but that was an example of what could have happened to a bunch of kids,” neighbor Jenny King says. “Had it happened 30 minutes later, we shudder to think of the results then.”
According to the TxDOT report, the crash happened after the McLaren coupé hit a sincemended bump in the road. The driver began to lose control of the car, bumping the second vehicle into a tree before spinning out and crashing into another tree, where he and Rocha died.
King has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years and says she has seen traffic safety, especially speeding, trend in an increasingly worrisome direction on Abrams and Lake Highlands in general.
“I guess we all kind of thought, and I thought, ‘Well, I’m not
surprised, really, not surprised at all,’” King says.
Abrams
Abrams Road stretches a little over 8 straightline miles within City of Dallas limits, running south to north from Old East Dallas to Walnut Street at the border with Richardson. Relatively a straightforward path compared to other winding roads in the area, such as Walnut Hill, Abrams is a three-lane arterial road that slims down to two lanes below Mockingbird Lane.
According to TxDOT data obtained from the agency’s Crash Records Information System (CRIS), from 2015 to 2024, there were 2,075 crashes on Abrams within the City of Dallas limits, with 419 speed-related (7.683 speed-related per lane mile).
Compared to Walnut Hill Lane, which recorded 2,154 crashes with 511 speed-related (6.17 per lane mile) in that period, or Royal Lane, which recorded 2,298 crashes with 528 related to speed (6.686 speed-related per lane mile), it might not seem like much of a problem.
However, Abrams is slightly worse. From 2015-2024, there were 12 fatal crashes on the road, five of which were speed-related. That’s compared to Royal, which recorded eight fatal crashes with four related to speed, and Walnut Hill, which recorded eight fatal crashes with two related to speed in that time.
On Greenville Avenue, which has a higher speed-related crash frequency (9.143 per lane mile), six fatal crashes were reported, with two of those speed-related. Even on Preston Road, a threelane state highway with a speedrelated crash frequency close to twice that of Abrams (12.61 per lane mile), only seven fatal crashes were reported, with two speed-related.
Of the eight arterials we collected data on, the roadway with the largest proportion of
fatal incidents in speed-related crashes was found on Abrams Road (1.19%).
Some neighbors attribute the issue to the wide and straightforward design of the road, while others insist exit closures tied to the I-635 East Project have caused drivers to treat the road as an alternate thoroughfare. Data obtained by the Advocate does not show a marked increase in speedrelated crashes, crashes involving suspected severe injury or crashes on Abrams north of Northwest Highway from 2015-19 to 2020, when the project began, through 2024. There was, however, an increase (two from 2014-2019, five from 2020-2024) in fatal crashes.
“I think there are speeders that we didn’t have in the volume, it seems today versus 10 years ago. Any night in Lake Highlands or all over Dallas, you can hear those loud cars that you know are speeding,” King says.
Citywide
The crash in December understandably fanned residents’ fears over traffic safety on Abrams Road — a McLaren wrapped around a tree near a school crosswalk at 3:15 in the afternoon is a powerful image for parents.
But while Abrams may show a relatively higher frequency of speed-related deaths, elsewhere in Lake Highlands and Dallas, things tend to get worse.
Residents often joke about Dallas drivers, and the national media seems to agree, with Forbes Advisor placing Dallas at sixth on its list of U.S. cities with the worst drivers. Dallasites know their fellow drivers as distracted at best and downright malicious at their worst. The numbers seem to back that idea up.
2022, data from the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows Dallas as having maintained its position as the second-deadliest major U.S. city through COVID, with Dallas’ increased rate of 17.54 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents beat out only by Phoenix.
Furthermore, data obtained from the Texas Department of Transportation shows Dallas had the highest number of speed-related fatal crashes per 100,000 population of major Texas cities, with 5.7 speed-related fatal crashes per 100,000 residents (San Antonio comes in second with 3.6 per 100,000). Speeding was the
North of Northwest Highway (2015-2024)
Skillman
1,744 Crashes ( 479 involving speeding)
8 fatal injury crashes ( .46% of total),
council in 2022. The plan is inspired by a wider international effort led by the Vision Zero Network to reshape cities’ approach to traffic safety and completely eliminate traffic fatalities. The aim of the plan in Dallas is to achieve the ambitious goal and cut the number of severe injury crashes in half by 2030. Dallas’ Vision Zero plan revolves around using data to pinpoint problematic areas. To do this, the plan prioritizes traffic and corridor studies to evaluate problem areas. Then, it sets out a structure for collaboration between local, state and federal agencies, enforcement, increased education and streamlined transportation department projects like traffic light additions designed to deliver results.
58 suspected serious injury crashes ( 3.8% fatal or severe)
2 fatal crashes speed-related (0.42% of speed-related fatal),
16 suspected severe injury crashes, speed-related. ( 3.77% of total speed-related crashes severe or fatal)
Abrams
992 crashes ( 225 involved speeding)
7 fatal injury crashes ( 0.71% of total),
35 suspected severe injury crashes ( 4.23% severe or fatal)
3 fatal crashes ( 1.33% of total),
6 severe injury speed-related crashes ( 4% of speed-related crashes severe or fatal) East of U.S. 75
Forest (east of U.S. 75)
1,980 crashes ( 474 involved speeding)
15 fatal injury crashes ( 0.76% of total)
66 suspected severe injury crashes ( 4.1% of total)
6 fatal crashes ( 1.27% of speed-related crashes)
16 suspected severe injury speed-related crashes ( 4.64% of speed-related crashes severe or fatal)
Engineering-forward solutions are needed in Dallas, where most roadways were designed and built in the mid to late 20th century, as is often the case in Sun Belt cities across the southern U.S. Of the 15 most populous cities in the U.S., the top five cities with the highest rates of traffic fatalities in 2022 (Phoenix, Dallas, Jacksonville, Houston and San Antonio) were all found within the Sun Belt, according to NHTSA data.
At a city council briefing on Vision Zero from Feb. 21, 2024, Dallas Department of Transportation Director Ghassan Khankarli referred to a 2024 New York Times podcast on pedestrian fatalities in the U.S., which detailed higher rates of traffic fatalities and the impact of road design in Sun Belt cities.
“Think about it as the Loop 12s of the world, the Military Parkways of the world,” Khankarli said at the briefing.
Data obtained by the city’s Department of Transportation shows Dallas had the second highest rate of traffic fatalities from 2015 to 2019 among the top 15 most populous cities in the U.S., with 14.11 fatalities per 100,000 residents. In a report from
leading contributing factor in severe and fatal crashes in Dallas from 2015 to 2019, according to data from the city’s transportation department.
To combat the underlying issue, the City of Dallas adopted a resolution creating the Vision Zero Plan in 2019, with an action plan approved by city
“The development of the Sun Belt, parts of the county of which Dallas is in, coincided with the auto age and all the standards that governed, or the guidelines that govern the design of those roadways. Every roadway was to be designed like a freeway.”
On Loop 12, which has been dubbed “Dallas’ Deadliest Road," there were
22,618 crashes reported from 2015 to 2024, with 6,532 reported as speed-related on the loop. Of those, 755 crashes (221 speed-related) were reported as involving a suspected serious injury. In addition, 202 fatal accidents were reported on Loop 12 in that span (Abrams had 12), with 80 of them speed-related.
High-crash frequency portions of Loop 12 can typically be found in South Dallas on roads such as South Buckner Boulevard, Great Trinity Forest Way and Ledbetter Drive. At a news conference held last December, Interim Dallas Police Chief Michael Igo said there were 16 fatalities on an 8.6-mile stretch of Loop 12 in Southern Dallas in 2024.
Closer to Lake Highlands, Forest Lane, which runs 69.2 lane miles within the city of Dallas, had a substantially higher number of overall crashes than Abrams (3815), speedrelated crashes (855) and fatal crashes (22, with eight speedrelated) from 2015 to 2024. Pedestrian injuries must also be factored on Forest, which has been identified as a pedestrian high injury network by Dallas’ transportation department. (Eight pedestrian fatalities have occured in the last four years on Forest, according to DDOT.)
Skillman Street also appears to be more hazardous, with 2,590 crashes reported over nine years, and 637 of those speed-related ( approximately 13.034 per lane mile). North of Northwest Highway, Skillman recorded more crashes involving fatalities (eight compared to seven fatal crashes on Abrams north of Northwest Highway), crashes with suspected severe injury (58 to 35 on Abrams) and crashes related to speeding (479 to 225).
Since adopting the Vision Zero action plan, Dallas has recorded three straight years of decreases in speed-related and
severe crashes. However, of the four most populous cities in Texas, Dallas’ plan is the only one not recognized by the Vision Zero Network.
As part of the plan, the city identifies high-injury networks (HIN), defined as “the 7% of roads that account for 62% of severe crashes.” In Lake Highlands, Forest Lane, Audelia Road, Park Lane/ Church Road and Royal Lane are identified as HIN.
Abrams is not.
So, why does Abrams matter?
“What I’m telling you (is), there are a lot of areas in this city that have high fatality rates because of speed,” DPD Sgt. Ira Carter told neighbors at a March 19 community meeting. “You’re not there yet. You’re not there yet, and we pray you don’t.”
“If that car had gone the other way, it would have hit my backyard with my kids playing in it at the time,” responded a neighbor, her voice shaking with emotion.
That seems to encapsulate what most neighbors feel is so important about traffic safety on Abrams. With residential neighborhoods abounding and four Richardson ISD schools whose boundaries straddle the road located within a 2-mile stretch of Abrams, residents have expressed concern for their children’s safety.
“I don’t let my daughter walk home from school, even though our house is close enough that it should be fine because she would have to cross Abrams,” says 12-year resident Nicole Ellery.
The importance of traffic safety near schools on Abrams was underscored less than two weeks after the first crash when, on Dec. 18, another multi-vehicle collision occurred during afternoon school hours, leaving one car on the lawn of Forest Meadow Middle School.
“Eighth grade has athletics the last period of the day,” Ellery says. “They had been congregating right there in that same spot just the week before, at that same exact time.”
Resident outcry had already been building from the previous wreck at that point, with a change.org petition calling for increased traffic safety in
Lake Highlands amassing more than 500 signatures within several days.
The petition states: “Our children’s safety is paramount, and unfortunately, due to the number of wrecks occurring near (and sometimes in) our yards, there is legitimate danger for children not only walking to and from school, but also for those being driven by parents and caregivers.” It was started by Megan DuBose, whose children attend Skyview Elementary.
“This was the type of thing where I’m not sleeping, I’m getting so frustrated, I’m hearing everybody be like, ‘What can we do about this? What can we do?’ And I was like, look, ‘At least I’m decent at writing, so I’ll write down something,’” DuBose says.
As a result of the crash and DuBose and other neighbors’ outcry, District 10 Council Member Kathy Stewart worked with the city’s transportation department to commission a traffic study to assess problem areas on Abrams Road from Meadowknoll Road to Royal Lane. The study launched in January of this year and had an initial completion timeline of four to six months.
DuBose says while she appreciates Stewart’s response to the issue, she and other neighbors would like to see tangible changes enacted without the hurdles of a protracted traffic study.
“You could hear some of them were just, downright pissed,” DuBose says. “And they cited specific changes that have been happening. Someone was like, ‘I don’t understand why this light needs to get replaced on Greenville when it had just been replaced a couple years ago.’ I think it’s frustrating, especially for those of us that aren’t steeped in all things local city government.”
Stewart told the Advocate in March that she understood the frustration.
“It will test your patience, and I am learning that it’s just the bureaucracy of city government, but I believe that it happens at the state and federal levels as well. But when you’re dealing with government entities, there’s just a lot of process that has to be honored, and that just takes time. And for that, I apologize.”
DuBose also says she felt representatives from the transportation department and DPD’s traffic unit came off defensive in the March 19 community meeting.
"I don’t let my daughter walk home from school, even though our house is close enough that it should be fine because she would have to cross Abrams."
“I think people felt defensiveness in the room about some of the things from DPD and the engineering that, like, we didn’t understand the defensiveness, right?” DuBose says. “We’re just coming from a place of, ‘We’re worried, we don’t really know how city government works, but we would be happy to share what we’ve observed and hear some of your thoughts.’”
At the meeting, DPD's tactical operations division commander told residents, “There was no alcohol involved, it was an accident,” of the December crash. According to the crash report obtained by the Advocate , Espino, whose obituary describes him as an avid racing fan, had a .274 BAC at the time of the wreck and tested positive for cocaethylene, ecgonine methyl ester and benzoylecgonine. Intoxication from both drugs and alcohol were listed as contributing factors alongside speeding in the crash report. Representatives from DPD said in an email the statement was made based upon information known at the time. The crash report shows a final supplementation from March 7, more than a week before the meeting.
What’s next?
At the meeting, multiple neighbors expressed concerns over areas outside of the original study’s scope. To respond to these concerns, Stewart told the Advocate that the length of Abrams covered in the study has been expanded to include intersections like the one found at Church Road/Park Lane. She says that due to the expansion, the timeline for the project is unclear.
Richardson ISD officials told the Advocate that the district is paying for an improved pedestrian crossing with an updated sidewalk and traffic signals at the northwest corner and the southwest corner of the Abrams-Whitehurst intersection.
The project is expected to be completed in time for the school year. In addition, the City of Dallas, Stewart and the district have agreed to split funding for crossing guards at Forest Meadow Middle School and Lake Highlands Middle School for the 2025-26 school year.
According to the Vision Zero dashboard, while Dallas has recorded three straight years of decreases in overall crashes, speed-related and severe crashes since implementing the action plan, fatal accidents have failed to show similar progress, despite modest decreases. In 2022, Dallas recorded 218 fatal accidents, which fell to 201 in 2023. In 2024, 208 fatal accidents occured in Dallas. All three years show an increase from 2015-2019, when the city averaged 178 fatal crashes annually.
Progress can’t come soon enough for residents like Nicole Ellery, who says that the situation on Abrams has led her to consider a major life change.
“This has been stressful enough that this is the first time that we have seriously been looking to move out of Dallas, and I’ve owned this house for a long time. I bought it at the bottom of the market, so sitting good, and I think it’s a great location, and I love Lake Highlands, but it’s just so stressful.”
*Most data in this story was obtained from TxDOT’s Crash Records Information System (CRIS). To obtain the data, we set a range from the years 2015-2024 and specified a crash location of the City of Dallas within Dallas County. After inputting each specific road, such as Abrams, we pulled the data straight from TxDOT’s results. All CRIS data is accurate as of May 14. To determine crash numbers in Lake Highlands, we used CRIS’s map selection tool (photos of our selected road portions can be found in the online version of this article). While they should be considered mostly accurate, differences in selected map points may result in slight statistical variations. Road lengths, and by extension, crash frequencies, were determined by cross-referencing Advocate -obtained data with lane mile road lengths provided by the Dallas Department of Transportation and Public Works. All other data in this story was obtained from Dallas City Council Briefings, The Dallas Department of Transportation and Public Works, Dallas’ Vision
and other government agencies.
HIS BROTHER’S KEEPER
Lake Highlands resident Daniel Roby leads one of the largest homeless outreach organizations in the city.
Story by AUSTIN WOOD
Daniel Roby, 43, is a lifelong Lake Highlands neighbor at the forefront of the homeless crisis in Dallas.
As the CEO of one of Dallas’ largest shelters, Austin Street Center, Roby spends most of his time trying to find solutions to a problem without a silver bullet. At the shelter founded in 1983, he oversees programming, collaborates with other nonprofits and works with the City of Dallas’ Office of Homeless Solutions to coordinate the city’s response.
Austin Street Center provides a robust approach to homeless outreach. Aside from being one of Dallas’ largest low-barrier shelters for adult women and men over 45 years old, the center
provides rapid rehousing assistance, mental health support, substance use treatment and employment services. The center even recently acquired a shuttle bus to help transport clients to Parkland Hospital, Social Security Services and employment agencies.
Roby and his staff are working in a contentious local climate where a local political group recently threatened to sue the City of Dallas over homeless encampments in Downtown. On April 4, Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert issued a memo notifying employees that the Office of Homeless Solutions Street Outreach team would be transferred to the Office of Emergency Management and Crisis Response to create the Dal -
las Street Team. The goal of the move is to encourage sustainable rehousing and reduce the number of encampments through “proactive encampment cleanup.”
“Having a dedicated cross-trained team will enhance our public safety and health efforts and reaffirms our ongoing commitment to being one of the safest, largest cities in the country, maximizing quality of life for all residents and improving our homeless response across the City,” the memo reads.
With all the noise around the issue, we caught up with the Lake Highlands High School Class of 2000 graduate to learn more about his story, Austin Street Center and the state of Dallas’ homeless response.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS WORK?
I volunteered at Austin Street for the first time when I was like 10 years old, give or take a couple of years. My parents were always people who were very socially conscious, were always doing a mission trip or something like that, so I had all these experiences as a young person with people who had significant need. And that planted some seeds that grew over time.
When I went to college, I did some internships with Mission Waco and some organizations down there, and then I moved to Portland, Oregon. That’s when I started working professionally in the homeless services arena. Fundamentally, those experiences with people who had experienced a lot of poverty kind of built a tension in me of realizing, ‘OK, why is it that I’m a 17-year-old who is driving a car that’s three years old that my parents purchased for me?’ Comparing myself to these people who had nothing, I hadn’t done anything to earn what I had. There was no moral superiority, no greater level of intelligence. I just walked into this family that had this stuff.
DO YOU WORK WITH OHS ON RAPID REHOUSING?
We do work with the Office of Homeless Solutions. That’s a joint program between the City of Dallas and Housing Forward and many other partners, but we’re one of the larger partners operating that program.
We facilitate a lot of that support. We also have diversion and outreach teams, which are folks that go out under bridges and try to get people connected to services. And in our diversion team, which is when someone comes to the shelter, instead of giving them a bed first, we’re finding out, ‘Hey, can we call a sister, brother or cousin, anyone that you know that’ll let you stay with them?’ Because we have so few shelter beds in the city, we are turning away three times as many people as we’re serving right now, which is not what we need to be doing. There’s just not enough emergency shelter. There’s not enough housing.
"Half the people at Austin Street go to work every single day like you and I do. And so there’s this kind of common misconception of, ‘Oh, people don’t want to be out of their situation.’
Well, I’ve got hundreds of people who will tell you otherwise and are going to work every day to show you that they mean otherwise. "
YOUR JOBS PROGRAMS RECEIVE A LOT OF FEDERAL FUNDING. ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT RECENT CUTS?
I mean, it could certainly impact Austin Street. I am more worried about our clients, because they’re the ones who are going to be hurt the most. We have hundreds of people who are on this assistance, who are working hard at their jobs. Half the people at Austin Street go to work every single day like you and I do. And so there’s this kind of common misconception of, ‘Oh, people don’t want to be out of their situation.’ Well, I’ve got hundreds of people who will tell you otherwise and are going to work every day to show you that they mean otherwise.
IS DALLAS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS OF HOMELESSNESS?
This is a great time to remember that the devil is in the details, because are we heading the right direction? Well, interestingly, Child Poverty Action Lab came out with a report a while back that said we need 33,000 significantly affordable units, or 50% of area median income or below. Well, since that time, they’ve come out with an updated report, it’s like three times that number. It’s getting worse.
The environment that we’re living in is no one’s fault; it’s just the fact that Dallas is a great place to live. A lot of people are moving here, prices are going up, but there’s a lot of good conversation happening. We’re still waiting to see what the implementation will be like. We’re not out of the woods even remotely. And if we don’t get real serious soon, we’re gonna end up like San Francisco and Los Angeles, where you’ve got tens of thousands of people on the streets. We need to treat this like a crisis.
WHERE ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH IN THE CITY’S RESPONSE?
The outreach teams that were part of the Office of Homeless Solutions are being taken from that team and moved into
this new office, the Office of Emergency Management. I think that will certainly give people a lot of confidence that, ‘Hey, when I need an encampment gone, it’s going to be gone.’ But the challenge is, once again, if we don’t come up with a long-term solution, they’re just going to pop up somewhere else. They’re not just going to disappear because we decided to clear an encampment. They’re not all going to jail either, even if they’re on property where they shouldn’t be because the reality is, guess what? People have to have someplace to go. But from a housing perspective, say, ‘If you can’t be here, I need to find somewhere.’
IT SEEMS LIKE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS ARE BEING INCREASINGLY STIGMATIZED IN PUBLIC SPACES. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT IN DALLAS?
We have a trend issue as a society that we have forgotten the importance of loving one another. We’ve forgotten the importance of what it means to care for our neighbor. We need to remember that we’re not supposed to go around saying ‘I’m not my brother’s keeper’. Instead, we need to realize we are in community with each other, whether we like it or not. We’ve made that decision about where we live, and so we need to take care of the community that we’re in.
The breakdown of the community is the issue. When people have communities that support them, both family and civic and church and everything else, it’s different. But when we lose that respect, you’re on a slow decline to vilifying somebody based upon the fact that they’re suffering and to tell them that they are not worth even enough food to eat or a roof over their head. We haven’t yet found the political will and emotional determination to make sure that that’s available to everybody.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AC
& HEAT
ALEXANDER HOME REPAIR. AC/HEAT Repair & Install. LIC#28052 469-226-9642
CONCRETE, MASONRY & PAVING
FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls,BBQ’s Veneer, Flower Bed Edging. All Stone Work Chris Roberts, 20+Yrs Exp. 214-770-5001
IMPROVEMENT
RGC - HOME IMPROVEMENTS 214-477-8977
THE HEATING & AC EXPERTS
Installations & Repairs
Emergency Services
24/7 On-Call
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
AIR SHIELD LLC AC/Heat Repairs, Installs Airshieldpros.com. 214-394-1788 TA CLA67136C
ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS!
214-710-2515 dallasheatingac.com
APPLIANCE REPAIR
JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE
TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898
BUY SELL TRADE
I BUY USED CARS
Sam. Dallas. 469-609-0978.
FOR SALE 2 Cemetery Plots.Restland,Garden Of Compassion Block C, Plot 3&4. Carolyn. 972-824-6954
FOR SALE 2 Cemetery Plots Restland.Garden of The Gospels. Call/text: 214-356-1806
!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! Gibson, Fender, Martin, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. Top Dollar Paid. 1-866 -433-8277
SALE: FULL SIZE BED. $400. Bed frame, headboard, box spring, mattress, Good Condition. 469-363-2480
CABINETRY & FURNITURE
JD’S TREE SERVICE Mantels, Headboards, Kitchen Islands, Dining tables. Made from Local Trees. www.jdtreeservice.com 214-946-7138
SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING
Cabinet Refacing, Built-ins, Entertainment/ Computer Centers. Jim. 469-585-1588 jhholbert2@att.net
CLEANING SERVICES
ALTOGETHER CLEAN
Relax ...We’ll Clean Your House, It Will Be Your Favorite Day! Bonded & Insurance. Free Estimates. 214-929-8413. www. altogetherclean.net
CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp. Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133
WANTED HOUSES TO CLEAN. Organize, De-clutter, pack +more. Dependable, thorough, Honest, Great Refs,15yrs.Exp.Sunny 972-497-6599
WINDOW CLEANING Power washing No Job To Small. 30 Yrs exp. 214-360-0120
COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS
CONFUSED? FRUSTRATED? Let a seasoned pro be the interface between you & that pesky Windows computer. Hardware/Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Training. $100/hr. 1 hr min. Dan 972-639-6413 / stykidan@sbcglobal.net
NEED HELP WITH YOUR COMPUTER, Smartphone or Smart Home? My Tech Guy Harvey. 214-770-2598. harveymccall@gmail.com.
CONCRETE, MASONRY & PAVING
ADVANCE STONE ART CREATIONS
Decorative Concrete Overlays. 214-705-5954
CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001
CONCRETE, RETAINING WALLS 25 yrs exp. T&M Construction, Inc. 214-328-6401
EDMONDSPAVING.COM Asphalt & Concrete Driveway-Sidewalk-Patio-Repair 214-957-3216
CONCRETE DRIVEWAY SPECIALISTS Repairs,Replacement,Removal. References, Reasonable Chris Roberts. 20+ Yrs exp. 214-770-5001
JOHNSON PAVING Concrete, Asphalt, Driveways. New or Repair. 214-827-1530
R&M Concrete
Concrete • Driveways Retaining Walls Stamped Concrete
ELECTRICAL SERVICES
BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333
TECL 31347 Brightening Homes and Businesses
LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured. Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735
TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658
WHITE ROCK ELECTRIC All Electrical Services. Lic/Insd.TECL-34002 214-850-4891
ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC
Master Electrician Family Owned · Insured Anthonyselectricofdallas.com 214-328-1333
Tecl #24948.
EMPLOYMENT
BENJAMINS PAINTING Hiring:18-26Yr.olds, Top Pay- Will Train. In Advocate since 2007. 214-725-6768
EXPERIENCED NANNY 2 months-6 Years Great References.15 Years Experience warconie@gmail.com. 469-987-2172
EXTERIOR CLEANING
G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925
FENCING & DECKS
4 QUALITY FENCING • 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood. YourWoodmaster.com
AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com 214-621-3217
FENCING, ARBORS, DECKS oldgatefence.co 214-766-6422
LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975
Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers
HANNAH WOODWORKS • Decks • Pergolas • Patio Covers
Hannahwoodworks.com 469-427-0058 or 214-435-9574
HASTINGS FLOORS Epoxy Garage Foors Many colors to choose (flakes optional) Call Nick for bid 214-341-5993 hastingsfloors.com
HARDWOOD INSTALLATIONS Waterproof, hardwood, carpets, tile laminate, & vinyl click. 214-440-6244 . aaa-texas-floors.com
FOR SALE
FOR SALE 6 pc Queen bedroom set (solid wood). Separately or together. Good Condition. $1200 for set. 956-645-1747
FOUNDATION REPAIR
Slabs
GARAGE SERVICES
UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned. 214-251-5428
GENERAL CONTACTING
A2H GENERAL CONTRACTING,LLC Remodel, Paint, Drywall/Texture, Plumbing. Electrical, Siding, Bathroom/Kitchen Remodels Tilling, Flooring, Fencing. 469-658-9163. Free Est. A2HGeneralContactingLLC@gmail.com
GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS
LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR frameless shower enclosures • store fronts replacement windows • mirrors 214-349-8160
ROCK GLASS CO Replace, Repair. Single, Double Panes. Showers, Mirrors. 214-837-7829
WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134
HANDYMAN SERVICES
BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730
DANHANDY.NET Repairs Done Right For A Fair Price. References 214-991-5692
HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628
HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635
HANDYMAN WANTS your Painting,Repairs, To Do Lists. Bob. 214-288-4232. Free Est. 25+yrs exp.
HOME REPAIR Doors, Trim, Glass. Int/Ext. Sheetrock, Windows, Kitchen, Bathroom 35 yrs exp. 214-875-1127
HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606
ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES
Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations . Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical. 469-658-9163
Let Us Tackle Your To-Do List!
HOUSE PAINTING
BENJAMINS PAINTING - Professional work @reasonable price. In Advocate since 2007 214-725-6768
HECTOR PEREZ PAINTING Commercial/residential. Intrior/ Exterior. Fair Rates. 214-489-0635
RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513
TEXAS BEST PAINTING LLC Resd,Interiors 30Yrs. 214-527-4168
TOP COAT 30 Yrs. Exp. Reliable. Quality Repair/Remodel. Phil @ 214-770-2863 VIP PAINTING & DRYWALL Int/Ext. Sheetrock Repair, Resurfacing Tubs, Counters, Tile Repairs. 469-774-7111
WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?
LAWNS,
REMODELING
RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247
SERVICES FOR YOU
#1 WHITE ROCK TREE WIZARDS Professionals, Experts, Artists serving Dallas 15 years.Trim, Removals. Tree Health Care services. Insured. Arborwizard.com. Free Est. (972) 803-6313.
A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 18 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925 Lawns, Gardens & Trees
DAVIS LAWN CARE, LLC 580-222-4909 or davislawncare214@yahoo.com Serving Lake Highlands & Lakewood.
ELEVATED GARDENS - 469.682.5039
Raising the Standard of Outdoor Beauty
HOLMAN IRRIGATION
Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061
MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com 214-924-7058 214-770-2435
NEW LEAF TREE, LLC Honest, Modern, Safety Minded. 214-850-1528
PAT TORRES 214-388-1850 Lawn Service & Tree Care. 28 Yrs. Complete Landscape Renovation. New Fence Install & Brick Repair. Concrete Removal and Gutter Cleaning.
RED SUN LANDSCAPES • 214-935-9779 RedSunLandscapes.com
RGC - STORM WATER MANAGEMENT drainage solutions 214-477-8977
TAYLOR MADE IRRIGATION Repairs, service, drains. 30+ years exp. Ll 6295 469-853-2326. John
WALTON’S GARDEN CENTER
Stop in for home decor, candles, house plants, succulents and more. It’s time to plan for spring. Call us for design, prep and plantings! 8652 Garland Road 214.321.2387
service
A CHARMING HOME
Decluttering + Organizing + Styling acharminghome.co 214-794-6382
PEST CONTROL
MOSQUITO SHIELD 972–850-2983
Imagine A Night Outside Without Mosquitoes
NATURE KING PEST MANAGEMENT INC.
All types of Pest control. Natureking.com Natureking.com. 5 Star rating on Google 30+yrs. Exp. 214-827-0090.
S&L CONSTRUCTION All Home Services & Repairs. 214-918-8427
AGING ROOF? New Homeowner? Got Storm Damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing Available.1-888-878-9091.
BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855761-1725
"Keeping Children & Pets in Mind"
Termite Specialist - Mosquito Mister Systems Licensed · Insured · Residential · Commercial · Organic 214-350-3595 • Abetterearth.crw@gmail.com abetterearth.com
PLUMBING
AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943
Years of Excellent Service
Sewer Backups
All Plumbing Repairs
ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS!
POOLS
972-379-4000 staggsplumbing.co
CERULEAN POOL SERVICES Family Owned/ Operated. Weekly maintenance, Chemicals, parts & repairs. CeruleanPro.com 214-557-6996
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
C.A.S. BOOKKEEPING SERVICES Personal/Small Business. Payroll, Accounting, Organizing, Consult. Cindy 214-577-7450
WHERE DID YOUR MONEY GO? Bookkeeping Services for small businesses & Personal. Financial organizing. Quicken & other programs. Sharon 214-679-9688 REAL
ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD? Facing forclosure? IG Heron Homes Call Ricardo Garza @ 469-426-7839
New Construction & Remodels FiferCustomHomes.com• 214-727-7075
Kitchens, Bathrooms, Windows, Doors, Siding, Decks, Fences, Retaining Walls, New Construction
TK REMODELING
BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation,production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads
DENTAL INSURANCE- Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance -not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258
DIRECTV STREAM - Carries the most local MLB Games! ChoicePackage $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once.HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.)No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405
DONATE YOUR CARS TO VETERANS TODAY. Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800 -245-0398
ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373
GENERAC Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt. Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-844-334 -8353 GET DISH SATELLITE TV +INTERNET Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-479-1516
HUGHESNET Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live.25 Mbps just $59.99/mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499 -0141
PROFESSIONAL LAWN SERVICE: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Call now for a free quote. Ask about our first application special! 1-833-606-6777
REPLACE your roof with the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install. (military, health &1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234
SAFE STEP North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306
THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services
FOR RENT Little Forest Hills 2/1 Single Family Home w/fence. $1,600mo. $1,600 deposit. Cheryl. 214-235-1399
GARDEN OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Walnut Hill @ CENTRAL.3 Smaller Suites Avail. Flexible Terms 214.915. 8886
REMODELING
BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730
FENN CONSTRUCTION Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com
For complete terms and conditions, visit advocatemag.com/ advertisingterms.
WATER DAMAGE
cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809
TUTOR/LESSONS
WANTED: OBOE TEACHER needed for 14 year old student. Call 214–235-7429
PIANO LESSONS 30 years exp. Also voice & composition. Text (469) 708-6151
A Next-Level Real Estate Experience
