From the Disney streets’ contemporary ranch houses to Walnut Hill’s mid-century modern abodes, our neighborhood is stacked with architecturally significant homes.
One neighbor is going great lengths to preserve her property and a piece of Preston Hollow’s history. Philanthropist Nancy Shutt is seeking a historic overlay district from the Landmark Commission to protect her two-story home at 5310 Park Lane.
“It was completed in 1940, and it’s probably one of the few structures left in Preston Hollow that’s original to the development of the neighborhood,” says Mark Doty, City of Dallas’ chief planner/ historic preservation officer.
Doty considers the property to be “one of the best examples” of renowned Dallas architect Charles Dilbeck’s residential work.
This Thursday, the City Plan Commission will vote on the proposal before it reaches City Council, which will ultimately decide whether it’s an officially designated landmark.
If the council approves the proposal, an “ordinance is put into place to protect the building from future changes without the approval of the Landmark Commission,” David Preziosi, executive director of Preservation Dallas, told the Advocate in an email in August.
In this case, Shutt is seeking to protect the home’s exterior and surrounding landscaping from future modifications or demolition, Doty says.
“It’s an owner-initiated designation, which isn’t rare for that to happen, but it’s very unique,” he explains. “It’ll actually be one of the first City of Dallas landmarks in this part of the city.”
Maintaining architecturally significant homes isn’t always a priority in Dallas. Only a few miles away in Highland Park, the 8,900-square-foot Penson house designed by architect O’Neil Ford was demolished Tuesday, the Dallas Morning News reports. Former Honda dealership owner Lute Riley purchased the property for $4.95 million, only to tear it down.
