Adobe Stock
Audio By Carbonatix
How would you feel if suddenly one day, two homes on your street transformed into a mecca for the neighborhood’s most meditation-minded, the hipsters, the edgy entrepreneurs? If a sound bath sorority emerged, made up of women willing to pay $250 a month for wellness classes, coffee bars and pool access?
That is the question that the Kidd Springs neighborhood in Oak Cliff has wrestled with over the last year, as the trendy and envy-inducing Le Sol House operated out of two adjoining homes on Canty Street, just across the street from Kidd Springs Park. Some neighbors call the traffic and noise a nuisance; others argue that a little shavasana never hurt anybody.
On Wednesday evening, the Dallas City Council approved a 1.5-year permit that will allow Le Sol House to continue operating within the residential footprint it has used for years. (The membership model launched around 2022, D Magazine reports.) Council member Chad West stated that the idea of a commercial business operating in a residential area was a chance for the council to go “outside of their comfort zone” when it comes to zoning and potentially embrace a “relatively new” land use.
West said the short permit period will act as a “short leash,” requiring the wellness house to prove it is a good neighbor and a boon to the community. If successful, he sees the Le Sol case as acting as a pilot for future recreation club businesses.
“One of the most telling parts of this case is the strong support the applicant has received from nearby neighbors,” West said. “I am persuaded by the comments, by the speakers, that this is the kind of change that can enrich our community.”
Le Sol has been in a state of limbo for months. This spring, the Oak Cliff Advocate reported that Le Sol House and its sister location, Château Le Sol, were warned to cease operations by the Dallas city attorney’s office after being found “in violation of provisions of the Dallas City Code constituting a substantial danger of injury and/or adverse health impact to other people or property.”
According to Taylor Madison, the business owner, the club stopped charging membership fees after that notice. Madison pursued a special use permit for compliance, which will not alter the home’s underlying residential zoning but will allow the business to operate for set periods of time and with specific provisions, such as operating hours, built in.
While many neighbors have rallied in support of Le Sol, some have been incensed by the years the business operated without seeking city approval. Nathaniel Cheney, an Oak Cliff resident, appeared in opposition to the project on Wednesday evening and spoke of a “history of noncompliance.”
“We cannot call this a paperwork oversight,” Cheney said. “I’d ask you to weigh why this [permitting] process started.”
Council member Cara Mendelsohn was one of several representatives to vote against issuing Le Sol a permit. She argued that the permit would set a precedent for rewarding business owners who do not follow city regulations, and urged Le Sol to “move to a commercial area.”
“What we have here is another example where somebody didn’t have the approval to do what they wanted to do, so they just did it anyhow,” said Mendelsohn. “We might as well just say forget all [zoning regulations], because we’ll be Houston. And I don’t want to be Houston. … I don’t think you’re causing a neighborhood disturbance, but I don’t think it’s allowed. And I think you’ve always known that.”
The Oak Cliff Advocate reports that neighbors whose homes back up to Le Sol House have had positive experiences with noise control. Madison said that Le Sol associates regularly canvass the adjacent section of Kidd Springs Park for litter.
In the permit approved Wednesday, Le Sol will be allowed to operate between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. No speakers will be allowed outside the property or in the backyard. A representative for the business said background checks are conducted on applicants before membership is granted, and an in-person tour is required to establish “compatibility.” Generally, yoga classes are made up of just three to five women, she added.
Several speakers appeared before the council to advocate for the benefits of the Le Sol business. They lauded the community that has grown out of the club and credited it with giving them a reason to invest in the Oak Cliff neighborhood.
Olivia Genthe, the Dallas restaurateur behind Fount Board and Table, Little Blue Bistro and Seegars Deli, credited Le Sol with being the place her early restaurant ideas took off. It’s where she met foodies who became customers who became regulars and brought their friends with them, she told the council.
It’s also where she and her two toddlers sheltered for two nights during the 2021 winter storm when her home lost power and all the hotels were full, Genthe told the council. In short, Le Sol is special.
“When we’re talking about protecting this neighborhood, what exactly [are we] trying to protect?” asked Genthe. “I share many of the concerns with the opposition. I don’t want the people who created this diverse community pushed out of it. I don’t want generic development or corporations moving in and sanding off everything interesting about Oak Cliff. But Le Sol isn’t that. Le Sol is the thing we’re talking about protecting.”
