Hampton Hills Neighborhood Association » Neighborhood News

many happy hours

Garinns — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:31:15 +0000

Thanks to all who attended this month’s Last Friday, First Call Happy Hour. About 30 people had many happy hours at the home of Cliff and Jon Garinn. Next month, Robbie Purcell puts out the welcome mat. Plan on attending Aug. 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Well, to whenever.

yard of the month

Garinns — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:39:50 +0000

Congratulations to Kris Porras and Joe Hernandez Jr., whose beautiful home in the 1600 block of Montreal qualifies as the July Yard of the Month. Framed by beautiful crape myrtles and lush plants, the house is accented by colorful summer flowers. Beyond the yard, the front porch is an oasis, with charming furnishings and plants aplenty. If you get a chance, stop by and take in all the summer glory of this outstanding yard. For their efforts, Kris and Joe will receive a $25 gift card to Calloway’s nursery.

housing the homeless

Garinns — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:06:03 +0000

As you may have heard, the Dallas Housing Authority plans to open 100 apartments at its 180-unit Cliff Manor building on Fort Worth Avenue to longtime homeless people who have mental illnesses and addictions. The agency, which operates public housing throughout Dallas, has 52 vacant units ready at the building and will make the rest of the 100 apartments available as current residents move out, according to MaryAnn Russ, the housing authority’s president and chief executive officer.

Cliff Manor is situated about 2.5 miles from Hampton Hills. Consequently, we won’t be directly impacted by the plan. Moreover, it’s located in City Council District 3, which accounts for District 3 Councilman Dave Neumann’s intense interest in the project. But our neighborhood is not an island. Every Oak Cliff neighborhood connects to another, so we owe it to ourselves to understand the debate and determine what, if any, action we need to take.

As we’ve followed the debate, we’ve learned that opponents to the plan object to it for the following reasons:

Council 3, which includes parts of West Dallas and North Oak Cliff, already has a disproportionate number of housing authority properties compared to other districts.
Cliff Manor is less than 200 feet from Stevens Park Elementary School.
Jobs in Oak Cliff are scarce, so it would be difficult for 100 people to find work in the neighborhood.
Fort Worth Avenue is undergoing redevelopment and there is some concern that developers could pull out for fear that the change would adversely affect property values.
There’s no clear “exit strategy” if the plan doesn’t work.
The quality of the building is outdated, and the neighborhood already has a high amount of crime.

Proponents of the plan make the following points:

The residents who would move to Cliff Manor are people who’ve done work to prove that they are responsible enough to live on their own with help.
A full-time caseworker would be on site for them. The housing authority has hired a property manager who also has a background in social work. And all the staff is trained to deal with the particular problems these residents are likely to have.
There would be zero tolerance for drug abuse or violent crime among residents.
Properties adjacent to successful permanent supportive housing communities in New York City and Fort Worth have increased in value.
Homeless people are often misunderstood. Statistics indicate that they are unlikely to be criminals.

town hall meeting

Garinns — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:24:29 +0000

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and District 3 Councilman Dave Neumann will host a town hall meeting on June 21 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the proposed use of Cliff Manor on Fort Worth Avenue as permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless. The meeting will be held in Methodist Dallas Hospital’s Hitt Auditorium. We urge you to attend and participate in the debate. It’s worth noting that Oak Cliff has the highest percentage of affordable housing units of all the City Council districts.

every house has a story

Garinns — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:32:44 +0000

According to the 1930 Census, the home at 1322 S. Montreal Ave. was owned by 45-year-old Alfred W. Sanders, a builder, and his wife, 38-year-old Ruth. The couple had been married 19 years, and had two children living at home: 18-year-old Alex and 13-year-old Maude. Alf W. Sanders’ name appears as the builder of most of Hampton Hills’ originals homes. In fact, at the time of the 1930 Census, he he had been developing the neighborhood for more than six years.

On Sept. 14, 1924, an advertisement appeared in The Dallas Morning News announcing the development of Hampton Hills. The new neighborhood would be accessible to the city of Dallas via the Oak Cliff street car line, and would have every “modern improvement,” including “permanently paved streets, sewerage, water, gas, lights, etc.” By November, an ad campaign was launched, aimed at the tradesmen and middle managers of local companies who were interested in moving to the area for its convenience and proximity to their employers. Billed as “Oak Cliff’s Ideal Home Place,” Hampton Hills boasted terraced lots, extra wide parkways and well-drained high ground. Sanders set up a sales office for his Hampton Hills Realty Company in a small Tudor-style building on Tilton (now Wilton) Street. It still stands today.

A Dallas Morning News item on Nov. 16 announced “a completely developed subdivision” on the new Hampton Place streetcar line. Hampton Hills Realty Company ads emphasized the neighborhood’s convenience, commanding view and unmatched value. The ad blitz culminated with the “tag sale” ad on Thanksgiving Day, which drew attention to the neighborhood’s proximity to streetcars and schools.

Sanders favored picturesque wood-sided and brick and stone cottages with a charming, storybook quality about them. Even today, his handiwork can be seen in many fine examples of stained glass, as well as unique brick and stone work. His interiors feature archways, hardwood flooring, cheerful bathrooms and galley kitchens with quaint breakfast rooms and built-in cabinetry sparkling with beveled mirrors and stained glass. Some fireplace mantels display multiple types of wood and are flanked by built-in bookcases, which were among his signature building techniques.

Today, the home is proudly owned by Ric Varden.

happy hour

Garinns — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:05:33 +0000

Join us for the next Last Friday, First Call Happy Hour on June 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the home of Angie Pittman and Marty Bartula, 1510 S. Montreal Ave. We’re grateful that they’ve agreed to host this month’s event. If previous happy hours are any indication, a good time should be had by all. The event is free, but, as always, the hosts appreciate anything you might want to bring to make the evening more festive.

thanks for the memories

Garinns — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:19:24 +0000

Thanks to the generosity of our hosts, we enjoyed another memorable HHNA Progressive Dinner. About 35 folks enjoyed appetizers at the Forresters, a few took a refreshing dip in the pool next door as everyone savored Ted Thomas’ amazing smoked ribs and salmon, and then polished off the event with a delightful dessert and White Russians at the Winebergs. Thanks to all for a fantastic evening!

yard of the month

Garinns — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:34:40 +0000

Congratulations to Ray Jordan and Lawrence Orr, whose beautiful home at 1233 S. Montreal Ave. has been designated Yard of the Month for June. Their landscape design and curb appeal are the envy of their neighbors. In recognition of their hard work in helping to make Hampton Hills “a more appealing place to live,” Ray and Lawrence will receive a $25 gift certificate to Calloway’s Nursery.

the sound of music

Garinns — Wed, 12 May 2010 01:59:22 +0000

Congratulations to Phil Leven, recipient of tonight’s Monthly Meeting attendance prize. Phil got to choose between Envelope No. 1, which contained vouchers to The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Envelope No. 2, which contained a gift card to Beckley BrewHouse. Phil chose Envelope No. 1, and will soon be enjoying the sounds of Mozart or Mahler.

the verdict is in

Garinns — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:25:50 +0000

One of the worst chapters in the history Hampton Hills has finally come to a close with the conviction of Marisela Villa on May 4. Deliberating for a little more than two hours, a Dallas County jury found her guilty of aggravated assault of a peace officer and two counts of drug possession with the intent to deliver.

Villa shot Dallas SWAT team Lt. Carlton Marshall in the neck during an early morning raid on Oct. 17, 2007. Dallas police had teamed with federal authorities to serve a warrant at the home of Villa’s boyfriend in the 1100 block of Hollywood Avenue. Clayton Sharpless was convicted drug dealing for his part in a multimillion-dollar methamphetamine and cocaine distribution ring that delivered drugs from large-scale dealers to lower-level dealers and laundered money exchanged between them. Sharpless is serving a 20-year sentence in a federal prison.

Marshall contracted meningitis after he was shot and then suffered a stroke. The high dosage of antibiotics used to treat the meningitis cause deafness. He now has cochlear implants to hear and must use a motorized wheelchair.

The incident began when federal officers requested and received what is called a “no-knock” warrant from a judge, authorizing the surprise raid. The tactic is meant to give dangerous suspects no time to grab weapons or destroy evidence.