Dallas Cowboys

Oxnard neighbors say Cowboys ‘crossed a line' building platform inches from their property

Tent-like structure surprised residents before training camp; team says city standards met

Clarence Thompson | DMN

The Cowboys’ upcoming training camp has cast an unwelcome shadow for several Southern California locals, who hired attorneys and filed a complaint to the city of Oxnard this week after the team built tall, temporary structure inches from their properties without notice, they told The Dallas Morning News.

Until mid-August, the team will use the tent-like platform to entertain special guests during camp practices in Oxnard, a club spokesperson said. Neighbors whose backyards border the white-tarped deck said the project has compromised their security and privacy, obstructed a view for which they paid a premium, blocked essential garden sunlight and ultimately reduced their home value.

Issues with construction workers also were reported.

Although foundation assembly on the hospitality platform began in June, not until July 1 did the project’s scale become clear to neighbors. That weekend, several workers installed wood flooring a few inches above five properties’ back walls.

“To wake up on a Saturday with your pajamas on and there’s a whole bunch of men looking [in from] outside, that’s very disrespectful,” resident Shalea Thompson said. “My daughter and I were in our pajamas, and we had to run upstairs because there were a whole bunch of men peering into our house, maybe not on purpose but still. No one knew there was going to be a structure built. …

Read more from our partners at the Dallas Morning News.

Copyright The Dallas Morning News
Contact Us