Dallas’ Economic Development Committee will be briefed Monday on what it would take to move on the process of amortization.
By María Ramos Pacheco
Dallas Morning News
https://www.dallasnews.com/
City officials are trying to determine the cost of shutting down two shingle companies that have operated in West and southern Dallas for decades.
Dallas’ Economic Development Committee will be briefed Monday on what it would take to move on the process of amortization — a tool that allows cities to close businesses that negatively impact the community — to shutter two shingle factories: GAF in West Dallas and TAMKO in Joppa.
Residents from both communities have been asking the city for years to cease operations in these two industrial facilities located near residential neighborhoods.
The two locations have existing land uses that don’t comply with today’s zoning regulations, but because the uses were legal when they began, they’re allowed to continue as “nonconforming uses.”
Last year, Janie Cisneros, leader of Singleton United/Unidos in West Dallas, and Emmanuel Davis from Justice for Joppa announced “The Toxic Twins: Fund the Fund Campaign.” They wanted the city to set aside funds to cover the costs of shutting down these companies.
“Monday will be a historic day,” said Davis. “For more than 40 years, TAMKO has been in our community; it’s time the city takes action. This is the first time the city is going to talk about this in public, so we are excited and hopeful.”
Memo request
Almost five months after the campaign kicked off, council members Adam Bazaldua, who represents the area where Joppa is located, and Laura Cadena, who represents the West Dallas neighborhood, submitted a memorandum in November requesting the city manager use contingency reserve funds to hire a consultant.
Council members Chad West, whose district includes Oak Cliff, Zarin Gracey, whose district includes the Mountain Creek neighborhood and Paula Blackmon, whose area includes the White Rock Lake area, also signed the memo. The request asks the consultant to calculate the amount the city would need, under local zoning and nonconforming-use law, to compensate the owners of the shuttered properties, thereby paving the way for closure.
“As we head into Monday’s committee meeting, I am hopeful we will gain clarity on whether amortization is a financially viable option as we consider our approach to GAF and TAMKO,” Bazaldua said in a statement.
West’s office said he was traveling and unavailable to provide comments. All the other council members did not immediately respond to request for comment.
A spokesperson for TAMKO, at 7910 South Central Expressway, said via email the company is aware the conversations about air quality and community health are deeply important to the Joppa community.
“We take those concerns seriously. With a 40-year history in South Dallas, TAMKO is committed to being a good neighbor and a responsible environmental steward.”
GAF, at 2600 Singleton Blvd., did not respond to a request for comment.
Amortization process
In the past, Dallas used amortization on rare occasions. In 2016, the city shuttered a car wash where attempts to curb drug crimes repeatedly failed. In 2019, the city shut down a small auto-repair operation that had been at its location for years after city planners pushed through new zoning.
But the process of amortization became muddy in May 2023 after state legislators passed Senate Bill 929.
The bill protects business owners and allows affected businesses to request compensation for their losses. Because of this, Dallas would have to pay GAF and TAMKO in order to shut them down. Activists estimate the cost at more than $50 million for both.
In 2025, the Dallas City Council amended the Dallas Code of Development to align with SB 929. Based on the city attorney’s recommendation, the council added a provision that removes a resident’s right to petition for an amortization process.
Environmental argument
Residents are arguing these two companies are polluting their neighborhoods and harming the health and well-being of West Dallas and Joppa and therefore they need to be shut down, said Cisneros.
A 2023 study found West Dallas residents are exposed to 11 times as much air pollution and have asthma rates four to five times higher than the rest of Dallas County. A 2022 study showed Joppa residents were exposed to an average daily rate of particulate matter that was two to three times higher than the Dallas County average.
In its statement, TAMKO said, “Data from the Environmental Protection Agency-grade monitors show no meaningful correlation between our operations and ambient particulate levels in the area. Prevailing winds blow toward the north/northwest, away from Joppa, nearly 90 percent of the time, making it unlikely that our emissions impact the neighborhood.”
TAMKO also said forced relocation through amortization would impose “substantial costs while delivering no measurable air-quality benefit.”
According to an analysis by Nicholas Co., a Dallas-based firm, requiring the plant’s closure would obligate the city to pay more than $500 million to TAMKO, while delivering no measurable improvement in air quality, the shingles company said.
Residents are pushing back against this price tag, saying the number is self-reported, and are asking the city to be skeptical.
In the past, GAF said it would cease operations in mid 2029. Those plans are now in limbo after a rezoning petition initiated by the company was terminated by the city early last month due to inactivity in the process.
Cisneros said residents have been forced to pay with their health while the city waits for action.
“Enough is enough,” said Cisneros. “We can’t trust that GAF is going to leave. The city needs to step up and take action and responsibility and protect its residents.”
Committee members will discuss at 1 p.m. Monday how this process would work, what the next steps would be and what guidelines would be put in place.
Local Government Reporter
María Ramos Pacheco is a bilingual reporter who covers neighborhood issues, environmental justice and all things city of Dallas-related for The Dallas Morning News.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
