Cochran Chaple United Methodist Church will not be affected if the city approves its request to add 15 single-lot homes to its Midway Road property. (Photo from Google Maps)

Cochran Chaple United Methodist Church will not be affected if the city approves its request to add 15 single-lot homes to its Midway Road property. (Photo from Google Maps)

The expansive property at 9027 Midway Road includes Cochran Chapel Methodist Church, with its classic brick and column design that dates back to 1924, although the church’s history is much longer (and richer) than that. It sits on 2.77 acres of land, but soon 1.8 of those acres will be filled with housing for families.

“The church owns a lot of land where those big trees are. There’s been a developer who has been after part of the land for years to build homes,” says Cindy Short, a volunteer with Life in the Trinity Ministry, which also utilizes the site. “But that won’t affect the church at all. Everything will stay the same for us.”

A zoning change request filed by Cochran Chapel with the City of Dallas seeks permission to transform the western side of the property into 15 single-family lots. Current zoning on the site requires 10,000-foot lots for residential homes, but the developer is hoping the city will allow it to build 3,200-square foot lots instead. It would increase the density of the area, which according to the applicant, is true of the entire neighborhood.

“… it would appear larger lot developments are being replaced with smaller lot developments along Northwest Highway,” the request notes.

It also state the added density would have little impact on traffic since the access point would already be along the busy highway.