Proposed Sam's Club Causes Controversy in Dallas

A proposed Sam’s Club in Dallas is causing some controversy.

The planned store is set to be built along North Central Expressway in between Haskell and Carroll avenues.

It was more than a year ago when the planning commission and the city council approved rezoning for the area for retail space. It was a month ago when the developer submitted the plans to build a Sam’s Club on the property.

City officials say when those plans were announced there were some residents who did not feel this type of box store should be in the area and felt blindsided about the approved rezoning.

After opinions were voiced against the store coming, several planning commissioners felt it was necessary to hold another hearing to see if the initial rezoning was done properly. They plan on making that decision on Thursday in a briefing before the regular planning commission that is set to start at 1:30 p.m. at Dallas City Hall.

If they do plan to reexamine the initial rezoning it could be a lengthy time table to see a Sam’s Club be built on this location.

“I mean it depends largely on the action today, so there is a possibility it can determine no authorization is necessary,” said City of Dallas sustainable development interim director David Cossum. “If they authorize the case the typical process would be that we have cases cured up that have been authorized by council, by commission, in other areas that are typically looking at a year process for something like that."

Cossum said it is very rare for something that has already been rezoned to be looked at again.

The developers plans that were submitted for approval to build the Sam’s Club were put on hold until July 10. There is a chance they could be put on hold again.

The public will be allowed to voice their opinions about the proposed Sam's Club at the normal planning commission meeting set for Thursday.