A Dallas County civil court judge presided over hours of witness testimony and arguments on Monday in the lawsuit filed by Friendship-West Baptist Church to block the construction of a planned warehouse.
The proposed 200,000-square-foot warehouse by Stonelake Capital Partners is set to be built adjacent to the church property, situated between I-20 and Wheatland Road near Polk Street.
In August, the City of Dallas initially rejected a building permit for the warehouse due to concerns regarding truck routes. However, in November, a city appeals board granted the permit, prompting the church to file a lawsuit in December.
“We’re here because the community has a voice that needs to be heard. The community voice has oftentimes been ignored, and this was a vehicle for the community to speak,” stated Friendship West Pastor Frederick Haynes, who led prayers with church supporters before the hearing at the George Allen Civil Courthouse on Monday.
Texas State Senator Royce West was present in the courtroom to show his support for Friendship-West but did not address the court directly.
The hearing centered around the church’s request for an injunction to halt construction pending a full trial.
“We’re trying to stop the development and this project over the will of the community while the appeal is being heard,” explained church attorney Paul Stafford.
Concerns raised by those associated with Friendship West included potential environmental and safety impacts from truck traffic associated with the warehouse. Testimony revealed that the Texas Department of Transportation had declined to permit direct access to the I-20 feeder road from the warehouse property.
Neighbors residing near Wheatland Road expressed apprehension about increased truck traffic in their area, despite the developer’s plan to route trucks away from the church and Carter High School.
Representatives of the developer argued that there were no legal grounds to halt the warehouse project, citing zoning regulations from two decades ago that permitted commercial land use.
Former Dallas City Councilman Lee Kleinman, now a consultant for the developer, testified about the case, emphasizing property rights over community concerns.
Judge Aiesha Redmond stated that she would deliberate on the matter before issuing a ruling, with no estimated timeline provided.
