The project, planned for land owned by developer Leland Burk since 2017, would replace a site damaged by a 2019 tornado. An earlier version of the plan called for a 28-story tower. City staff recommended approval, finding the project consistent with the ForwardDallas 2.0 comprehensive plan, which encourages more multifamily housing across the city.

The vote followed more than two hours of public comment, with the vast majority of speakers opposing the development. Residents packed Dallas City Hall to raise concerns about the towers' height, traffic, safety, shadows, glare and light pollution.

"At the proposed height, I will no longer have morning sun again," resident Laura Green told the council. "This is emotional because this is my home. Excessive development that is too tall will impact my home, quality of life, excessive traffic, shadow in the morning, glare in the afternoon, light pollution at night, and damage to our property."

A neighborhood group, Preserve Preston Hollow, has posted signs opposing skyscrapers and rezoning in the area.

Not everyone at the meeting objected. Kenzey Shelton Hayman said the project would let her household give up a car. "When I learned about this project I was delighted," she said. "We could go down to one car because I can walk to the post office, Tom Thumb, restaurants. If they beautify crosswalks to Jamestown, I can ride my bike to Northaven Trail."

Councilman Bill Roth, who warned that the towers' height could set a precedent for the surrounding area, moved to reduce the development to 12 stories. That motion failed on a 9-6 vote, and a separate motion to delay final approval also failed.

The decision lands as Dallas grapples with a persistent housing shortage and rising rents, and as city leaders lean on the ForwardDallas 2.0 framework to add density along major corridors. Supporters of such projects argue that concentrating new housing near existing commercial nodes and transit routes is the most effective way to absorb growth without sprawling further outward. Critics in established single-family neighborhoods contend that tall buildings can overwhelm local streets, strain infrastructure and alter the character of the areas they abut.

For Preston Hollow, the approval means construction on the two towers can move forward at a scale far beyond what the site's current zoning envisions. The project's backers will still need to complete the permitting and construction process, and the neighborhood debate over height and traffic is likely to continue as the buildings rise.