In May 2014 Trammell Crow Co. announced it would be planting a Sam's Club across from Cityplace, on 17 acres off Carroll Avenue and North Central Expressway. But a Dallas County judge's ruling Monday might have scuttled those plans — and created quite a mess for Dallas City Hall.

Judge Michael O'Neill's ruling voided an ordinance that created the planned development district that included big box retail on the site. According to the judge, the city didn't properly notify property owners near the proposed Sam's Club that they were going to be living in the shadow of a 100,000-square foot retailer.

As a result, that development is now in jeopardy.

"While we're disappointed in the judge's ruling, we're considering our options moving forward," said Scott Dyche, general counsel for Trammell Crow Company.

The tussle over the Sam's Club dates to May 2013, when nearby residents and property owners were told only that Crow wanted to rezone the site to "accommodate a retail development with design standards." The new zoning would have allowed for several uses, among them shops, restaurants, hotels and apartments, but the language was never specific enough to warn of a coming Sam's Club.

Trammell Crow Co. closed on the property in August 2013, only after it got the zoning it wanted.

When word got out in May 2014 that Trammell Crow Co. was building a Sam's Club, several members of the City Plan Commission tried to reopen the zoning case, insisting they'd been misled — and that planting a suburban-style development near downtown was wildly inappropriate. That redo never happened, in part because some city officials were concerned Trammell Crow Co. was going to sue the city.

Instead, the newly formed East Village Association took the city and Trammell Crow Co. to court.

The city tried to get the case tossed, insisting the neighborhood association had no standing to file suit. But in fall 2014, a judge disagreed, which is how it ultimately landed in O'Neill's courtroom on Monday.

"You never take anything for granted, but the notices are clearly insufficient," said attorney Anthony Ricciardelli, who, along with Andy Ryan, represented the neighborhood association. "We were quietly optimistic the entire time."

Jonas Park, who led the "No MegaStore" movement, said he "cried a little" when the judge made his ruling, which Trammell Crow Co. could still appeal.

"It's good to see that sometimes, justice can happen," he said.

The old Xerox building that used to sit on the site was erased on Feb. 1, 2015, and the site is ready for development. That shouldn't be a problem: Council member Philip Kingston, whose district includes Uptown, said he's heard there are at least two other suitors interested in the property should Sam's Club and Trammell Crow Co. part ways. The developer's attorneys had no further comment.

But Dallas City Hall has a much bigger problem on its hands than what will happen to a vacant plot of valuable land.

The city has long maintained it gave adequate notice to nearby property owners. But if this wasn't done correctly, it could impact countless other cases, which is why Dallas City Attorney Larry Casto said he will brief the City Council about Monday's ruling as soon as he can — and ask if they want his office to appeal the outcome.

"We were quite surprised by the ruling," Casto said. "It appears to be inconsistent with well-established guidelines previously issued by the courts in so far as sufficient notice goes. This means there is no such thing as sufficient notice in the future if you don't describe every conceivable use or variable the property owner may choose. ... Now we're uncertain what a notice would look like if this ruling is allowed to stand."

Kingston, however, is thrilled with Monday's ruling — for several reasons.

"It's the chance to really utilize that land in a way that's much more healthy than a suburban, sprawling big box store," he said. "And it's thrilling to me to see a nascent neighborhood organization stand itself up and win a real David and Goliath battle in court."