[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6678805,"mediaKeyId","2292217-0c38f732132ddef907ba3e63d38c7655","parentId",2292217,"title","Planners propose loosening townhome rules to spur infill and ownership options","audioSeconds",1444,"startMs",1922000,"endMs",3366000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2292217-0c38f732132ddef907ba3e63d38c7655&start=1922&end=3366","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2292217-0c38f732132ddef907ba3e63d38c7655/thumbnail_1922000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6678805/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Planners-propose-loosening-townhome-rules-to-spur-infill-and-ownership-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678805-9d5ec335b4ce952aeb8890740828d320/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186594&Signature=ScRYIUEDF09NQjK1WUgIDtedT0P8jYKUnbGgLxfJ94AZB783PX-gjxO2rOmGXoa0WcEikP~~1S-mXRl9U6VT9lnfSoOt2atnFHeR7yb7mu2EU7TlpML5AGzA6XtwX1UlV0b2NvqP39Yh3o--gtNWhh2s0ssJKm0zWLZunEoCUbX4MOuN2tcgmiZZ3KlGKqjYeJ0j2C0or87ZOLSBWu1XZFDNErhyQk2MGuQp3swYpY17fjEILJIw-zpCfwAVAZhtl6qVo32gMHuRALb-B7y0rK9kjogRZ0NzlpoPQxKU9i7jk9NKAA3G-9UT9s8u62obmyv9QMim212UVTxAPYmSFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Denton","date","2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","article","City planning staff presented a targeted set of proposed changes to Denton’s townhome regulations at a Planning & Zoning Commission work session on Feb. 12, arguing the current rules constrain infill townhome development and ownership opportunities.

Matt (planner) and Julie Wyatt, principal planner, told commissioners that townhomes are defined in the Denton Development Code as fee-simple dwellings that typically share party walls and are platted as individual lots. Staff said the city’s regulatory documents — including the Denton 2040 comprehensive plan, the Design Downtown Denton guidance and the affordable housing strategic toolkit — support townhomes as a needed infill and ownership option, but that three specific DDC provisions are discouraging projects.

Staff recommendations (targeted changes):
- Reduce the minimum townhome lot size in mixed‑use zoning districts (MN, MD, MR) from 2,000 square feet to 1,000 square feet, with corresponding reduced dimensional standards for those districts. (Matt; Julie Wyatt)
- Remove the code’s cap that limits the maximum number of townhome units on a site to no more than the number of single‑family homes that could be developed there. Staff said that cap is not applied to other residential types and disproportionately constrains townhome capacity on infill lots. (Matt)
- Change the required common open‑space standard so it applies only to townhome projects of 3 acres or more, with an exemption for sites within a half‑mile of an existing public park. Staff said a 5% common open‑space requirement yields very small, often unusable spaces on small urban infill projects and raises per‑unit HOA maintenance costs for small homeowner associations. (Julie Wyatt)

Why it matters: staff said that between 2020 and the present the city held about 25 pre‑application conferences involving townhomes but only two projects (about 177 units) proceeded under current townhome lot standards. Commissioners and staff framed the changes as a targeted “scalpel” approach to reduce specific barriers while leaving a broader development‑code review for later consideration of missing‑middle housing citywide.

Commissioner questions and comments: commissioners asked how “within a half‑mile” would treat actual walkability, raised concerns about sidewalk and crossing infrastructure, and suggested exemptions or additional criteria in cases where a half‑mile route lacks sidewalks or safe crossings. Staff said the proposed half‑mile exemption is measured as the crow‑flies (straight‑line) for administrability but said staff is open to refinements and pointed to parks’ 10‑minute‑walk mapping as an additional tool. Several commissioners asked for pro‑forma or affordability comparisons between townhome development and garden/urban apartment development to understand private‑sector incentives and feasibility; staff said that deeper market pro formas would likely be part of a later, broader code review process.

Equity and context: commissioners raised equity concerns about where townhomes are allowed by right versus by special‑use permit and discussed whether expanding by‑right allowances into more central, walkable neighborhoods (for example, adding R3 or R4 in places) could lead to more equitable distribution near services and transit. Staff replied that the proposal before the commission is intentionally narrow — targeted to mixed‑use districts and removing constraints that staff flagged as clear impediments to townhome production — and that a later, comprehensive development code review will address broader zoning‑district allowances and missing‑middle questions.

Commissioner support and next steps: when asked for a quick read of the room on the three staff recommendations, commissioners present voiced general support with the caveat that staff should address practical walkability and affordability questions in follow‑up analysis. Staff said it would draft code language for the recommended changes and return to the commission; the development‑code review committee will consider wider missing‑middle reforms at a later date.

Ending: planning staff described the measures as a preliminary, targeted step to encourage infill townhome production and ownership options while reserving larger zoning‑district adjustments and market analyses for a future, broader code update.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Denton - Planning and Zoning Commission on 2025-02-12 5:00 PM - Feb 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City planning staff told the Denton Planning & Zoning Commission on Feb. 12 that three targeted code changes would remove barriers to townhome infill and ownership, including a cut in minimum lot size in mixed‑use districts, elimination of a site‑level unit cap, and a narrower common open‑space requirement.","taxTitle","Denton City, Denton County, Texas","taxId",2787,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6678808,"City staff correct multifamily count, say Denton added roughly 16,600 rental units since 2020",643,218000,861000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2292217-0c38f732132ddef907ba3e63d38c7655&start=218&end=861","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2292217-0c38f732132ddef907ba3e63d38c7655/thumbnail_218000.jpg","/articles/6678808/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/City-staff-correct-multifamily-count-say-Denton-added-roughly-16600-rental-units-since-2020","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678808-1bc1564ef94481753be25a95bf583003/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186594&Signature=SANAE0VDPFEJJTPEm4kXMYMEqmmBqUkBpG4V67Nfc7lUC2rfnefFXqhGbUple7a0d4k2KI8xMpWOK~EM3XZJtKVTyv5FS5QOhTHcvp1SkPysf1oWUeKBt0qAlICfcXrmXyTgACywGCQpSWItiSnxPF0V4~nThqbtPez6Lx8-ieb49-gRT7IdaFZ8Tq0-RjAUOl39KViBx3o4gX--PqRBCPqYXDyW0sD7ukYSo9ujzPs~98s5jB72ST8-suyefNzjJH-KAqA6qouyf0EXsEWFTVXCPZ54EG-cnEVESHHfLXQ46vwKjCKy~sSmnzFG--vs04v-3BNWs0uhYwRbkr4SVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Haley Zgierski, assistant planning director for the City of Denton, told the Planning & Zoning Commission on Feb. 12 that staff had discovered a data error affecting the city’s multifamily unit counts and has replaced the flawed dataset with one from CoStar.

Zgierski said the county appraisal data originally used for the 2020 multifamily baseline had been paired incorrectly with the city’s GIS, and items that did not match on address or complex name were dropped. Staff now uses CoStar for the multifamily inventory and reports a 2020 multifamily count of 17,459 units rather than the 4,550 figure the presentation previously used; the corrected series shows about 22,000 multifamily units in 2023.

The error affected only the multifamily baseline, Zgierski said, and not single-family counts, rental rates or other measures. Using the corrected counts, staff estimated about 4,000 multifamily units under construction and about 8,000 in various stages of review, adding roughly 16,672 multifamily units since 2020 — a 96% increase from the comp plan’s 2020 baseline. Staff told commissioners the corrected figure reduces an earlier public headline that suggested a 303% increase to a substantially smaller but still sizeable growth rate.

Why it matters: the 2020 Denton 2040 comprehensive plan projected housing needs based on a 3.19% growth rate; more recent U.S. Census American Community Survey estimates indicate a higher local growth rate (about 4.4% annually from 2020–2023). If that higher rate continues, comp-plan estimates for required housing by 2040 would be far larger. Zgierski said staff compared the comp-plan projections to a 2021 affordable housing needs assessment; both the assessment and the higher-growth projection point to a substantially larger future demand for rental and ownership units than the 2020 comp plan anticipated.

Details cited by staff:
- Corrected 2020 multifamily baseline (CoStar): 17,459 units (previously reported as 4,550 from DCAD pairing error). (Haley Zgierski)
- Multifamily units in 2023: about 22,000. (Haley Zgierski)
- Multifamily additions since 2020 (constructed + in review): roughly 16,672 units (staff total). (Haley Zgierski)
- Single-family units: DCAD-based count of about 31,800 units in 2020 and roughly 36,000 in 2023; roughly 7,041 lots in construction and about 26,090 single-family lots in review. (Haley Zgierski)

Commissioners asked several clarifying questions during the presentation about student enrollment data, whether enrollment figures were annual or full-time only, the classification differences between duplex/horizontal multifamily in permit data, and the implications for affordability. Zgierski said university enrollment figures used were annual enrollment (not broken into full- or part-time for the dataset staff received) and cautioned that some students may be commuters not living inside city limits.

What staff recommended: continue periodic monitoring of housing supply and demand; consider updating the comprehensive plan and housing needs assessment within five years if higher growth persists; encourage a broader housing mix (ownership and rental) and consider incentives or code changes to support infill and ownership opportunities as well as rental stock.

Commissioners’ response and next steps: commissioners pressed for more granular enrollment and affordability information, asked staff to examine permit classifications (duplex vs. horizontal multifamily), and suggested staff prepare clearer public communications explaining the corrected numbers. Staff said it had informed the city manager’s office and city council and planned to include the corrected dataset in an upcoming Friday report to council.

The presentation was part of the Planning & Zoning Commission work session on Feb. 12, 2025. The commission did not take formal action on this item; staff will forward the corrected presentation and data to City Council for their information.

Ending: Zgierski told the commission that staff would present follow-up items on incentives and infill tools at future sessions and reiterated the recommendation to monitor and, if needed, update planning documents to reflect evolving growth patterns.","Haley Zgierski, assistant planning director for the City of Denton, told the Planning & Zoning Commission on Feb. 12 that staff had discovered a data error that materially undercounted multifamily housing in the city’s 2020 baseline and that corrected figures from CoStar raise the 2020 multifamily inventory from 4,550 to 17,459 units.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6678802,"Planning commission approves High School Addition replat; staff reviews quorum and plat deadlines",4743,84000,4827000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2292217-0c38f732132ddef907ba3e63d38c7655&start=84&end=4827","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2292217-0c38f732132ddef907ba3e63d38c7655/thumbnail_84000.jpg","/articles/6678802/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Planning-commission-approves-High-School-Addition-replat-staff-reviews-quorum-and-plat-deadlines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678802-7d784b4fe9c93108e95871549e96f4de/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186594&Signature=hRFYqW5~E4kUFIjSi~zMAYoq~nYNSzYiLW6c-oHb0mlPifszy6d3GyM5wPrhdHtwSNKG5-XvfvHOpYKC5rCVNIh43e5MuD~L2I1QkenwKx~qpHSSfMT9IKDTTjWolD~PLm3VAoUlog31t7mkSWNgwUtgGz5M9hhj4g5oPE9OrQ8mDBwxkXguQ816wXe30cZcK~FcbJcMGVmcZGd5jcOI1tQcH-fJP5eRVT9s4zo-iMW6kqeVPv6LwSz2Qm5~Q86S7ehPjT6ko9h~~IIxT~1Wos2Xtwd2nEX5dnahGQQ3MdjQ6i9zUacwOpfo8jpy8LC07fFehDG2tSVlTPrlfloj7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Denton Planning & Zoning Commission voted 4‑0 on Feb. 12 to approve a residential replat in the High School Addition that consolidates four lots into three (AFP 24‑0011), and later voted 4‑0 to approve the Jan. 29 meeting minutes.

Replat (AFP 24‑0011)
Julie Wyatt, principal planner, described the replat as a formality to reconcile deeded lot boundaries with original plat lines. Wyatt said one lot (Lot 5 in the presentation) was never developed after early 20th‑century deed changes and had effectively become backyard space for adjacent lots; the replat aligns recorded lots with deed meets‑and‑bounds descriptions. A resident, Kira, asked why the replat was necessary and why the applicant created three lots instead of two. Wyatt replied that the owner of the property undertook the reconfiguration to align recorded boundaries with deed history and that Lot 5 had simply never been developed.

Motion and vote: Commissioner Pedron moved to approve the replat; Commissioner Riggs seconded. The board voted 4‑0 to approve the replat. (Motion text: approval of replat of four lots in the High School Addition into three lots, AFP 24‑0011.)

Minutes approval: Commissioner Petrone moved to approve the Jan. 29 Planning & Zoning minutes; Commissioner Riggs seconded. The motion passed 4‑0.

Statutory procedure reminder: later in the meeting staff presented a brief procedural report on quorum and statutory plat deadlines. Staff reminded commissioners that Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 212, requires municipal action (approve or deny) on plats within 30 days of submittal. If the commission cannot act and an applicant does not withdraw, the plat may automatically become approved under state statute; staff said they often contact applicants on a non‑quorum day to ask whether they prefer to withdraw to avoid automatic approval if there are outstanding errors to correct.

Staff explained practical consequences: automatic approval vests the plat under state vesting provisions, could obligate applicants and the city to proceed on a document that contains errors, and can affect financing and title work. For entitlement cases (zoning, SUPs, PDs), staff said lack of quorum requires re‑notice — including mail and newspaper notice — which can delay cases by two or more meetings and increase applicant costs.

Votes at a glance:
- Approve Jan. 29 minutes. Mover: Commissioner Petrone. Second: Commissioner Riggs. Vote: 4‑0 (approved).
- Approve replat (AFP 24‑0011) — replat 4 lots into 3 in High School Addition. Mover: Commissioner Pedron. Second: Commissioner Riggs. Vote: 4‑0 (approved).

Ending: Staff reminded commissioners that the department aims to avoid administrative errors and encouraged commissioners to update calendar availability to reduce last‑minute quorum issues; staff said continuing education boot camps on administrative procedures will be scheduled.","The Planning & Zoning Commission approved a replat of four lots in the High School Addition into three lots (AFP 24‑0011) and approved the Jan. 29 minutes. Staff also briefed commissioners on statutory deadlines that can cause automatic plat approval if no quorum is achieved.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planners propose loosening townhome rules to spur infill and ownership options

City staff correct multifamily count, say Denton added roughly 16,600 rental units since 2020

Planning commission approves High School Addition replat; staff reviews quorum and plat deadlines