Outcome - Colby Petition

CITY OFDALLAS,Plaintiff,VS.COLBYPROPERTIES,NC.Defendant.

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CITYOF DALLAS' ORIGINALPETITION.AI\D REOUESTFORTEMPORARYINJUNCTION.PERMANENTINJUNCTIONAI\D DISCLOSURTTO THE HONORABLEJUDGEOFTHECOURT:The CityofDallas("City")strives opreventand remove blightindowntownDallas. ColbyProperties, nc.("Defendant")ownsa downtownproperty containingavacantbuildingthathasmany ire andbuilding codeviolations. To fightblight, the Cityfiles thisOriginalPetition,and Requestor Temporaryrjunction, PermanentnjunctionandDisclosure.n support, he Cityrespectfully howsheCourthe ollowing:I. DISCOVERY CONTROLPLAN1.Discoverys intended o be conducted nderLevel 2 of Rule190 of theTexasRulesofCivilProcedure.2. Pursuanto Rule 194 of theTexas RulesofCivilProcedure,Defendant srequested odisclose,within50days of this request, heinformationor materialdescribedn Rule194.2 regarding hepropertyocated at 508ParkAvenue, Dallas,Texas.SeeTex..Civ.P.194.II. PARTIES3.TheCityof Dallasisahome-rule municipal corporationsituatedn DallasCounty,Texas, ncorporated ndoperating nder he awsof theStateofTexas.

Plaintiff s OriginalPetition-Page ICity of Dallas v ColbyProperties,Inc.

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4. DefendantsaTexas Corporationhat ownspropertyin theCityofDallas.Serviceofprocessmaybemadeupon Defendant'segisteredagent,CaryRossel,at14911QuorumDrive,Suite00,Dallas,X75254.III.VENUEAND JURISDICTION5. Plaintiffbrings thiscause of actionto obtain atemporaryandpermanentinjunctive relief,and recovercivilpenaltiesgainstDefendantursuanto SubchapterofChapter54oftheTexasLocal GovemmentCode.6.Venue sproperand hisCourthasurisdictionpursuant oSection54.013oftheTexasLocal GovernmentCode.IV.FACTS7. TheCentralBusinessDistrict("CBD")islocatednthe heart ofthe City.TheCBDis boundedyWoodallRogersFreewayonthe north,CentralExpresswayelevatedbypass)ntheeast,R.L.ThomtonFreewayonthe south,and Stemmonsreewayonthewest.8.A substantialmajorityofthe CBDhas beenzonedcentralareadistrict 1("CA-1(A)") formany. CA-l(A)zoninggrantsownersofpropertiesn the districtthe mostdevelopmentights ofany zoningdistrictinthe City.Amongotherthings, CA-l(A)zoning:1)allowsbuildings obe built to anyegalheight,(2)allowsbuildingsocovertheentire ot,(3)doesnotlimit the numberof storiesabuilding mayhave,and(4)doesnot limitthe ntrmberofdwellingunits on aproperty.As aresult,he CA-l(A)districthassomeofthehighestpropertyvaluesn the City.TheCA-l(A)districtcontainsmanyof the City'stallestskyscrapersswell as someof itsmosthistoricbuildings.TheDallasCityCouncilrecognizedhemportanceof theCA-l(A)district tothe Citybypassing

Plaintiffls OriginalPetition-Page 2Cityof Dallas vColbyProperties, Inc.

OrdinanceNo.21960 onJanuary26,1994,which designatedheCA-l(A)district as an"areaof historical,cultural, andarchitecturalmportanceand significance."9. Thereare manyvacant buildings in theCBD,which, if leftunoccupiedandunmonitored,may fall into a stateof disrepair, becomea haven for criminalactivity, andcreateablighton the area.10. The Dallas City Councilunderstandshe danger that thesevacantbuildingsposeto thequalityoflife andprosperityof theCBD. OnJune25, 2008, the City CouncilunanimouslyadoptedOrdinance No.27248,which establisheda registrationprogramforvacantbuildingsin theCBD.Thepurposeof theOrdinanceistoprotect the health,safety, morals,and welfare of the citizens of theCity,tomonitor the vacant buildingsandensure that theyare maintained incompliance with applicablelaws, and toencouragetheir demolition or return to occupancyn a timely manner.11.Defendantowns the structure anO t epropertywithin the central businessdistrictof theCityofDallas, DallasCounty,Texas ocatedat CityBlock 118, Tracks2, 4, 5, 6,and7,Cantonto Park and Young,alsoknown as 508 ParkAvenue, Dallas County,Cityof Dallas, Texas(the"Property"). The Property is locatedwithin theCBDandhasCA-1(A)zoning.12. hr addition to the Propertybeing located nthe CBD,the Property isalso locatedinthe HarwoodHistoric District("HHD"),aCityofDallas Landmark District.TheHHD is located on the eastem edge of theCBDand includesportionsof Harwood,Elm,Main,Commerce, Jackson, Wood,Young, andCantonStreets,aswellas ParkAvenue.The HHD notonlyoriginatedasamajor thoroughfare connectingresidential areaso thedowntown areabut italso functionedas a supporttothetheater andmovieindustryinthe

Plaintiffs OriginalPetitionPage3City of Dslles vColbyProperties,nc.