Dallas Cowboys anger Oxnard residents with camp construction work

Residents in Oxnard, California have reportedly hired attorneys and filed a complaint to the city of this week against the Dallas Cowboys.

The team employed a construction crew to erect temporary structures that are now inches from their backyard walls, adjacent to their practice fields. The residents who spoke to the Dallas Morning News said the construction work began without notice. The temporary structures are now blocking their views.

The team is planning to use the tent-like platforms to entertain guests during camp practices in Oxnard, a club spokesperson told the DMN.

Residents are complaining that the project has “compromised their security and privacy” and the structures themselves have obstructed their view, blocked garden sunlight and ultimately “reduced their home value.”

“To wake up on a Saturday with your pajamas on and there’s a whole bunch of men looking [in from] outside, that’s very disrespectful,” resident Shalea Thompson said. “My daughter and I were in our pajamas, and we had to run upstairs because there were a whole bunch of men peering into our house, maybe not on purpose but still. No one knew there was going to be a structure built.”

Cowboys ‘crossed a line’ in Oxnard

The Dallas Morning News reports that the project began in June. On July 1, the residents realized the scale of the structures that extended above the walls surrounding their properties. According to the report, the structure spans five properties.

One resident claims the team “crossed a line.” Clarence Thompson believes they took advantage of their kindness when they began work without bothering to notify them.

Statements from the Cowboys revealed that the city approved the plans. The city also requested the addition of a white tarp on top of the structure.

For Oxnard resident Warner Cutbill, the tent obstructs his view of the Cowboys camp, and he even adjusts his work schedule to watch from the comfort of his home.

“It’s horrendous,” Cutbill told the DMN. “I was so excited for this camp to come up. Now, I wish it was gone at a certain point almost. I can’t see myself being excited to go out there and watch at all. I just want to get away at this point.”

The Dallas Cowboys report to Oxnard, California for training camp on July 24.