Letters to the Editor – Preston/Royal, GOP priorities, screwworm

Re: “Preston/Royal Plan Deserves a Chance,” Wednesday editorial 

It was with great interest that I read your editorial because I reside in the ZIP code that will be affected. The writer did not mention that parking is already a headache at that intersection: It was 104 degrees today; how many people do you think are going to walk around there? And you want to add hundreds, if not thousands more people?  

Other points were that Dallas needs hotel space, (the Cooper Clinic has a hotel down the street) and the luxury living space so grandma can move out of her single-family home so that a young family can move in. Have you checked the prices of homes over there? Not many young families can afford the median $1 million plus priced homes in the area.  

You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting apartments going up, right and left around the area. Pepper Square will get some, and the former Valley View Mall site will get the arena. All this is on Preston Road, and yet we are told we need more and get used to it. 

The overriding theme to the editorial was that Dallas is desperate for money and that people just need to suck it up, consequences be damned. 

Dixie Soong, North Dallas 

The debate over the proposed rezoning at Preston Road and Royal Lane has focused largely on building height, density and tax revenue; yet one of the most important issues has received remarkably little attention: public safety. 

The proposed development sits immediately adjacent to a Dallas Fire-Rescue station and at one of the city’s busiest intersections. There has been little public discussion about how increased traffic could affect emergency response times, emergency vehicle access or the ability of first-responders to reach nearby neighborhoods safely. Likewise, there has been little discussion of evacuation planning or how congestion could impact residents during major emergencies. 

Texas zoning laws exist to protect the public health, safety and general welfare — not simply to maximize development potential. Those principles deserve more than a passing reference. Before approving a project of this scale, city officials should insist on a transparent evaluation of its public safety implications, including independent analysis of emergency access and response conditions. 

Dallas has one opportunity to get this decision right. Economic development is important, but it should never come at the expense of public safety. Residents deserve confidence that emergency responders can reach them when every second counts. 

Dan Hursin, North Dallas 

The editorial asks neighbors to keep an open mind. Fair enough, but several statements deserve scrutiny. The one I’m addressing here is: “Once they are in place, neighbors actually come to enjoy the amenities they offer.” 

That assertion is at best conjecture. No evidence, data, surveys or studies support this. While some developments may eventually gain acceptance, many do not. How will neighbors enjoy a half-acre green space or other amenities meant for the development’s residents? 

Community opposition often persists long after construction is complete. 

More importantly, the claim doesn’t reflect the reality of what thousands of Preston Hollow-area residents believe today. Some 4,000 petition signers, along with countless emails and letters submitted to city officials, have expressed concerns about height, traffic, neighborhood compatibility, safety and precedent. Their opposition is neither emotional nor temporary — it is based on substantive concerns about a proposal that would dramatically alter the area’s character. 

Reasonable people can disagree about growth, but it’s false to suggest that neighbors will simply come to embrace a project of this scale once it is built. 

Margaret Chabris, North Dallas 

Re: “What Texas Republicans want next,” June 14 news story.  

Republicans have run Texas for 30 years. Results? Texas struggles with basic educational attainment and ranks nearly last in the nation.  

Studies consistently rank Texas among the lowest nationwide for women’s healthcare. The state ranks near the very bottom for primary-care physicians and mental health providers per capita. In studies of the safest states, Texas ranked near the bottom. Texas frequently scores among the bottom three in emergency response and climate resilience.

Texas consistently ranks at or near No. 1 for the highest percentage of uninsured residents. Texas has the highest number of rape-related pregnancies among states with abortion bans. 

Republicans, unconcerned about the serious problems, would rather focus on such pressing issues as dictating lifestyle choices and further ensuring women in need cannot access necessary health care. 

As for the continued dog-whistle-blowing regarding Shariah, I suggest reading Ryan Sanders’ essay in a recent Sunday Opinion section. “The most imminent threat to religious freedom in America is not Shariah. It’s theocratic efforts to redefine minority faiths and ‘dangerous ideologies’ until only state-endorsed religion is allowed.” 

James Palma, Farmers Branch 

As a proud cow and native Texan, I claim the medical freedom recently prioritized at the Republican Party of Texas’ 2026 convention. I defiantly refuse to be inspected and quarantined by my owner. 

If I want to leave my field, I will not seek state or federal approval, even if I am in an area infected by screwworm.

I am shocked that the USDA will spend more than $1 billion to contain the outbreak. What happened to the separation of government and health? 

I know I could die without treatment. I know I can spread the disease nationwide, decimating America’s cattle industry. I know that manmade global warming has given the screwworm a more welcoming environment. 

I don’t care. Like many Texans during COVID-19, I make my own health decisions. And — hands off my calves! 

Barbara Chiarello, Austin