Addison — The Addison City Council voted on Aug. 12 to adopt a new zoning map implementing the town’s Unified Development Code (UDC), but several council members and members of the public pressed staff for clearer, additional protections for existing parks and green spaces.

Leslie Knipe, Director of Development and Neighborhood Services, presented the proposed zoning map and said staff had reviewed parcel by parcel to limit the creation of nonconforming properties when the UDC takes effect. Knipe explained that the UDC does not create a separate “park” zoning district; instead, public parks are permitted uses within the new base zoning districts and the town’s PROS (Parks, Recreation and Open Space) master plan separately designates parkland.

Knipe told council that the conversion exercise followed an adopted conversion matrix that maps current districts to new UDC districts and that staff reviewed about 12,000 parcels to ensure the new zoning would not unduly impair financing or future reinvestment for existing properties.

Several council members said the result is confusing to residents who see parkland colored under residential or other base zones on the zoning map. Council Member Randy said he would not support “anything that does not zone parks as parks,” adding that a clear, visible designation would reduce public alarm and increase trust. Council Member Howard suggested a short-term visual fix: add a parks layer on the town website map that highlights pros-designated parks in green so residents can easily see which town-owned properties are designated for park use.

Leslie and legal counsel explained two independent protections that apply to town-owned parks. First, the town charter requires voter approval (a referendum) before parkland can be sold or conveyed for a non-park purpose. Second, state law includes a similar requirement: park disposals, sales or long-term leases that change the public character of parkland generally require voter approval. Town staff also pointed to a recent parkland dedication ordinance adopted late last year, the PROS master plan, and internal policies that guide park use.

Council discussion included options for additional protections or clarity. Knipe said staff had considered adding specific park zoning or a community-facilities district but that creating new zoning districts would increase code complexity and could unintentionally make some uses nonconforming. She said the UDC approach — permitting parks in all base districts — aims to simplify administration while protecting parks through the master plan and charter processes.

Legal counsel advised that adding new districts not adopted in the UDC would require additional outreach and notice to the public before council could apply them; that process would require repeat hearings. Several council members asked staff to return quickly with recommendations — such as an overlay district, a clear online parks layer, or a limited park zoning amendment — so the council could decide whether an amendment is warranted.

Public commenters raised related issues earlier in the meeting. Phyllis Silver urged the council to ensure safe pedestrian access for transit riders on Addison Road in connection with upcoming DART routing changes, and Susan Halpern urged the council to enforce charter rules after an incident she described as improper communications with DART by a council member. Those remarks underscored resident concerns about process and communication around land-use and transportation changes.

The council approved the zoning map (motion and second recorded in the meeting) and Knipe said staff would provide follow-up materials and could return with a focused agenda item on park-district options and map presentation tools.

Why it matters: Zoning maps and development codes determine what can be built where. Residents expressed concern that parks shown on a zoning layer without a separate “park” district could be misread as available for residential or other development, even though the charter and state law provide separate protections. The council’s follow-up will determine whether the town adds another visible protection or relies on existing legal safeguards.

What’s next: Staff will prepare options for council consideration, including an overlay district or a dedicated parks zoning district (both would require public notice and hearings), and will improve online mapping layers to make the PROS-designated parklands easier for residents to identify.