The City of Fort Worth isn't just twiddling its thumbs following new mandates from the 89th Texas Legislature. Nope, it's knee-deep in redrafting its zoning ordinance and development regulations to fall in line with laws that kicked off at the start of the month. These adjustments are aimed at accommodating more affordable housing while wrestling with the challenges of squeezing in higher density without losing the neighborhood charm.
Changes are afoot thanks to bills like SB 1883, which brings a tighter leash to public notices and board member criteria for impact fees, as outlined by a City of Fort Worth report. And there's more where that came from. SB 840 and SB 2477 are reshaping the game for multifamily and mixed-use housing. The former throws the doors wide open for such developments in commercial and light industrial zones, while the latter gives the green light to turn old commercial buildings into new living spaces—both coming with a host of regulations, or rather, the lack thereof, in a way that the City Council's hands are pretty much tied.
Don't overlook SB 15 either, a game-changer for small lot development, which will see the City unable to demand residential lots be larger than some pretty snug dimensions. And for those keeping an eye on zoning notices and the like, HB 24 sticks its nose in by shifting the petition requirement for a super-majority vote from a doable 20% to a hefty 60%, not to mention requiring clear signs to be posted on the proposed site itself.
With the task at hand to keep Fort Worth's zoning ordinance chummy with Texas law, Development Services Director D.J. Harrell emphasized, "These state-mandated changes require us to update Fort Worth’s zoning ordinance to ensure consistency with Texas law," according to the same city report. With these regulatory shape-shifters influencing neighborhood and commercial development, city officials are mapping out an extensive community engagement schedule to get residents in on the conversation.
