Old Gaston Avenue church could soon be a new Dallas YMCA branch

UPDATE: The zoning change application submitted to the city on Monday provides precious few details about the Y's actual plans for the 3.8-acre site, but it does seem to indicate the new center would replace the White Rock branch down the street. It says the YMCA wants to relocate a sign from the current location. It also says a parking study indicates that the new Y would not generate a need for more than 120 parking spaces and that "the applicant prefers to provide more open space on the property," presumably for ballfields and such.

PREVIOUSLY: There's potentially big news for YMCA members living in East Dallas - and also for the neighborhood around the corner of Gaston and Loving avenues (at 7112 Gaston). The Y announced in an email to members that it has a contract on the former site of Trinity Lutheran Church and this week submitted a development package to the city's planning and zoning department.

"We hope to have our case in front of the Plan Commission in April, and if all proceeds as planned, building could commence in 2013, depending on the pace of our fundraising efforts," the Y's announcement said.

Regarding its new neighbors, well, the Y is already down the road on that, too.

"We are aware that the development of a YMCA on this site changes the existing use, and we are eager to make this a great community asset," the announcement said. "We have had several informal conversations with neighbors and community leaders over the past 2 weeks and look forward to continued dialogue at an informational meeting on March 20th."

"We are excited to begin to move towards a YMCA that can better serve our community and a project of which we can all be proud. We believe that real change can only come when we work together. That is why we are working side by side with you, our neighbors and community leaders to move this project forward and provide a YMCA that will be a bright spot in the Lakewood/East Dallas community."

The meeting is at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium at Lakewood Presbyterian Church, 7020 Gaston.

Other questions -- such as whether the new building is an addition to or replacement of the YMCA at White Rock at 7301 Gaston, were unanswered in the release. We have a call out to district executive director Derek Smith. If he gets back to us today, we'll let you know what he says. We've also asked the city for the development package.

Source: http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/03/old-gaston-avenue-church-could.html

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