Cibolo council approves ordinance allowing manufactured homes by right in agricultural zones, reduces plat exemption to 3 acres

The Cibolo City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance that will allow manufactured homes by right in the city’s Agricultural zoning district and reduce the local subdivision-plat exemption threshold from 5 acres to 3 acres.

The ordinance changes the Unified Development Code so that manufactured homes in Agriculture (AG) will be a permitted use rather than allowed only by conditional use permit, and adds a cap of three dwelling units per parcel (maximum density one unit per acre). The amendment also lowers the local platting exemption for divisions of land from 5 acres to 3 acres when parcels have utilities, public road access and no public improvements are required.

Supporters told council the change eases hardship for property owners seeking to place a family member’s home on a parcel without going through a full subdivision process. Rick Vasquez, the city planner who presented the ordinance, said the change includes safeguards: “There is a cap — a maximum of three dwelling units per lot, tract, or parcel — and a manufactured home still must meet one-acre-per-unit minimums, and a development triggers a full plat…