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New Cowboys training camp structure cools tension with Oxnard neighbors

Last summer the team built a tall, multi-level platform inches from the property line that neighbors said infringed privacy and blocked natural light.

A warmer welcome awaits Cowboys players and coaches Tuesday upon arrival at training camp in Oxnard, Calif.

Last summer, the team built a tall, multilevel viewing platform along its south practice field. No advance notice was given to the several residents sharing a backyard wall with the structure. Neighborhood complaints included poor communication, infringed privacy and blocked natural light into their homes and backyards.

Weeks ago, at the same location, the Cowboys built another structure.

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It is lower. So is tension with neighbors.

One resident from three of the five households alongside the new platform spoke Thursday with The Dallas Morning News regarding the updated setup. They described a dramatic upgrade in multiple respects.

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Neighbors did not learn about the 2023 structure’s height until construction workers stood over their wall in early July, at times looking toward their homes. This year, on June 24, two police officers went door to door, notifying them about the upcoming project’s height, which is several feet shorter than its predecessor.

“We have felt much safer and less invaded,” Andy Quan said in a text message. “We also feel satisfied that the Cowboys have listened to our concerns.”

The 2023 platform fully towered over three backyards and partially over two.

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All five homeowners told The News at the time they were angry and frustrated about the situation, one resident likening the experience to living in a white padded room.

Warner Cutbill burns a Dallas Cowboys jersey on the grill in his backyard, which backs up to...
Warner Cutbill burns a Dallas Cowboys jersey on the grill in his backyard, which backs up to the team’s training facility, on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, in Oxnard, Calif.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

Of those homeowners, Warner Cutbill most expressed a feeling of betrayal. He flew a Cowboys flag off a second-story window during the 2021 and 2022 camps while considering himself a loyal fan. By the end of the 2023 camp, he’d burned in a backyard grill his Cowboys flag and all the team attire he owned, including a Tony Romo jersey.

Cutbill said Thursday he still follows certain Cowboys players and wishes them well. He plans to watch some practices this year.

Michele Payne said she considered living elsewhere for several weeks if the 2023 structure returned. She now intends to enjoy her home and watch the occasional practice, neither of which she did last year.

Cutbill and Payne each separately said the two police officers told residents the new platform wouldn’t extend higher than their backyard walls. This proved not to be accurate when including the tented roof portion. So, residents are not entirely satisfied with the current situation.

Still, Payne called the structure a “100% improvement.”

She said before 2023 training camp she hoped to unzip the Cowboys’ tent and tell team owner Jerry Jones directly, “How rude.” Her sentiment is different now.

“Thanks for working with our neighborhood,” Payne said. “Welcome back.”

Nearby neighbors (from left) Celina Corral, Rob Fenlon and Sara Fenlon use a set of ladders...
Nearby neighbors (from left) Celina Corral, Rob Fenlon and Sara Fenlon use a set of ladders to watch Dallas Cowboys training camp practice from their Oxnard, California neighborhood wall lining the fields, July 30, 2022.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer )
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