The Oak Cliff area gets a new grocery store after a two-year battle

In parts of booming North Texas, new grocery stores are constantly opening.

But the two-year zoning battle is finally over this week to get a new one in an old one. Dallas area.

New Sprouts Farmers Market will be on Fort Worth Avenue at Hampton Road, south of I-30.

After the unanimous Dallas city council vote on Wednesday, the new store will replace the Crown Buffet located in the former Luby’s restaurant on the site.

The renovation also includes Elrod Plus cost grocery store to close.

Grocery store shopper Delores Guerra said she hadn’t heard before about the new Sprouts store or the closure of the Elrod store where she had been shopping for years.

“I love it. They have good sales and everything they do,” she said. “I feel good about this store, I think, because I’m used to it.”

The Dallas Plan Commission denied the request to open a new store, but the city council overturned the rejection.

Councilman Chad West represents the North Oak Cliff area.

“It took us two years to get here, but it will be the best project in the end,” West said.

The delay was due in part to the fact that the planned zoning of the development area overlapped with the area that the project developer was seeking to change.

Current regulations called for new structures near Fort Worth Avenue to promote walkable neighborhoods, and parking was moved to the back of the site.

West said the Sprouts store could not be built close to the street due to the site’s slope. It should have been about where the buffet restaurant is now.

Existing regulations could also allow a number of drive-thru fast food restaurants on Fort Worth Avenue, which neighbors opposed.

Instead, the approved plan calls for a sit-down restaurant to replace the existing grocery store parking lot with a patio ahead along Fort Worth Avenue.

West said a survey of 1,400 neighbors within 3 miles of the project was carried out with overwhelming support to reach a solution.

“In the suburbs, everything is like in the Wild West, right? You have all open lands. It is zoned for reinforced development. Here you have established neighborhoods, neighbors who gave 20-30 years of their lives, maybe they even grew up here,” West said. “They all told me that we respect zoning. We don’t want to give the farm to the developer, but they all told me that we need this grocery or organic store. We want more choice,” he said.

The new development plan also includes wider new sidewalks, lighting and outdoor speakers pointing away from neighboring houses, and shopping carts that automatically lock onto the edge of the property rather than clutter up the neighborhood like shopping carts do now.

“This corner has been something of a nuisance in the 15 years I have lived there. It’s not in good condition. It is often littered. It’s a magnet for vagrancy and begging,” said Stevens Park Estates neighbor Brian Maynard.

Nine speakers signed up for Wednesday’s city council meeting to support the new project.

“This development plan reflects the long hours spent meeting with the community and exploring their desire for this particular grocer to come to North Oak Cliff,” said Tim Herfel of the Fort Worth Avenue Development Group.

Rebecca More said she represents 301 homes of the El Tivoli Place Neighborhood Association southwest of the site.

“Neighbors are thrilled to have a supermarket in our area, giving us another healthy food option along with restaurants and a whole neighborhood upgrade. We are pleased with the landscaping, drainage plans, open space and pedestrian-friendly design,” Mohr said.

City Council members also praised the project and West’s role in reaching a compromise.

“This is a new standard for the excellence of our colleagues in managing a difficult situation,” said Council Member Janey Schultz.

Council member Kara Mendelsohn represents North Dallas, where new stores are more common. She praised the new Sprouts store opened in less than two weeks back in her area.

“It’s incredible. This is the correct size. It’s perfect for the community and I hope you have the same,” Mendelsohn said.

Speakers at the meeting said the new Oak Cliff complex would create at least 100 new jobs.

The manager of the existing Elrod’s Cost Plus store declined to speak on camera, but said his store would remain open for at least another 6 months. The firm that owns his store has several other places.

He said he didn’t know exactly what the future holds for his store or current employees.