Plano officials map zoning, design and permitting changes to comply with new state housing bills

Plano officials on Tuesday reviewed a package of zoning, subdivision and building-code options to bring the city into compliance with three recent Texas laws that take effect Sept. 1, including Senate Bill 840, which allows multifamily and mixed-use development by right in nonresidential zoning.

The changes, outlined by Christina Day, Director of Planning, would reframe where and how multifamily and small-lot single-family developments may be approved in Plano while seeking to preserve neighborhood compatibility, infrastructure capacity and the city’s economic development areas.

Day told the joint session of the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission that the three bills under review were “Senate Bill 15, Senate Bill 840 and Senate Bill 2477,” and that they “are all effective on September 1.” She said SB 15 permits limited small-lot single-family development on parcels of five acres or more that are unplatted and that SB 840 “allows multifamily also mixed use development in all the non residential zoning districts in the city, by right.”

Why it matters: City staff said SB 840 would change the city’s land‑use pattern across a large area — roughly 30 percent of Plano’s land area in staff maps — and limit several regulatory tools planners and councils have used to manage density, height, setbacks and parking. Staff flagged increased legal exposure because the statutes expand who may sue and authorize recovery of attorney fees for successful plaintiffs.

What staff proposed

- Small-lot single-family (SB 15): staff recommended creating a use‑specific standard tied to the statute that would require open space scaled to lot count, update subdivision plat standards (including alley requirements for lots 50 feet wide or less) and add a plat notation that a property is being developed under the statute. Day said these parcels are limited in number but “may be impactful to those places that it does apply.”

- SB 840 multifamily/mixed use in nonresidential districts: staff presented a mixed approach rather than a single citywide density cap. Where possible they would regulate intensity using minimum heights, maximum heights and minimum unit sizes rather than a single citywide dwelling-units-per-acre value. Day explained density rules are now limited by the statute and noted the city’s highest existing densities already exceed the bill’s 36 dwelling units per acre example.

- Dimensional and design guardrails: staff outlined a 45-foot minimum height (the statute’s baseline), a 25-foot optional setback standard, a 1‑space-per-dwelling‑unit parking cap and a prohibition on requiring multi-level parking structures. Day said lot-coverage limits are constrained by the law, so the city is considering stronger citywide building- and site-design standards for landscaping, façade quality and resilience that can be applied administratively.

- Noticing and signage: staff proposed targeted notice within 500 feet and outreach to registered neighborhood groups within 1,500 feet, and signage that explains a site is being developed under the new state rules.

Design and green-building options

The staff asked whether to adopt a green-building baseline now. Salso Mata, Chief Building Official, summarized advantages and limitations of both LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). Mata said LEED offers “an established, brand marketability” and “a flexible credit system,” but “LEED is expensive” and “it’s a voluntary process, but if we adopted it, it would no longer be voluntary.” About the green code he said it is “legally enforceable” and integrates with the International Code Council family but that local staff currently have less experience administering it.

Commission and council feedback

Planning and Zoning recommended several items for the draft ordinance: establish minimum and maximum heights in certain areas, enhance landscaping standards, establish minimum dwelling‑unit sizes and ensure infrastructure capacity; the commission also advised removing multifamily as an allowed use in the Residential Community Design zoning district in certain cases and rejected carport-covered parking as a preferred option.

Councilmembers and commissioners raised practical questions: Council member Horn urged a sustainability baseline for new construction and conversions, arguing “we need to be more conscious of energy efficiency, water efficiency, and sustainability.” He also questioned blanket bans on balconies facing expressways, saying it should not “tell a developer how he can design and construct this building” but he agreed air-filtration and noise‑abatement standards are public‑health matters. Commissioners and councilmembers repeatedly pressed staff about whether LEED now (as an interim standard) or the green code later would best balance enforceability and developer costs.

Next steps and direction

Staff told both bodies they will prepare draft ordinance language for the Planning and Zoning Commission’s special meeting on Aug. 6 and a council meeting on Aug. 25 to meet the Sept. 1 statutory effective dates. Day said the commission held an earlier work session and that staff will “turn around pretty quickly this week and prepare ordinances for the consideration at a special called meeting on August 6.”

Discussion vs. decision

The meeting produced no final ordinance. The session produced direction to staff — to return proposed ordinance text addressing SB 15 and SB 840 (including design standards, minimum unit sizes, height rules and noticing procedures) and to provide options for a near-term green-building baseline (LEED) with a path to integrate a green construction code later.

Speakers

Christina Day, Director of Planning (City of Plano, government) Salso Mata, Chief Building Official (City of Plano, government) Council member Horn (City Council, government) Council member Kerr (City Council, government) Deputy Mayor Pro Tem (title used in transcript; government) Commissioner Bender (Planning & Zoning Commission, government) Commissioner Lingenfelter (Planning & Zoning Commission, government) Commissioner Bernhardt (Planning & Zoning Commission, government) Commissioner Bronski (Planning & Zoning Commission, government) Commissioner Bonski (Planning & Zoning Commission, government) Commissioner Ollie (Planning & Zoning Commission, government) Commissioner Tong (Planning & Zoning Commission, government) Commissioner Alali (Planning & Zoning Commission, government) Council member Quintanilla (City Council, government) (Transcript used repeated institutional labels for some speakers; quotes and attributions in this piece appear only from the above named speakers.)

Authorities

{"type":"statute","name":"Senate Bill 840","referenced_by":["article text"]} {"type":"statute","name":"Senate Bill 15","referenced_by":["article text"]} {"type":"statute","name":"Senate Bill 2477","referenced_by":["article text"]} {"type":"other","name":"LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)","referenced_by":["article text"]} {"type":"other","name":"International Green Construction Code (IgCC)","referenced_by":["article text"]}

Actions

[{"kind":"referral","motion":"Staff directed to prepare ordinance language to implement compliance options for SB 15 and SB 840 and return to Planning & Zoning (Aug. 6) and City Council (Aug. 25)","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0},"outcome":"no_action","notes":"Direction to staff; no ordinance adopted at this meeting."}]

Clarifying details

[{"category":"geographic_extent","detail":"SB 840 mapped to roughly 30% of the city's land area","value":"30","units":"percent","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Christina Day"},{"category":"height_minimum","detail":"Minimum height baseline under bill","value":45,"units":"feet","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Christina Day"},{"category":"setback_minimum","detail":"Statutory minimum standard for setbacks","value":25,"units":"feet","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Christina Day"},{"category":"density_reference","detail":"Staff cited 36 dwelling units per acre as a statutory reference and noted the city already has higher densities in some areas","value":36,"units":"DUA","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Christina Day"},{"category":"parking_limit","detail":"City may not require more than 1 parking space per dwelling unit for multifamily under the statute","value":1,"units":"space per unit","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Christina Day"},{"category":"buffers","detail":"Staff proposed a 1,000-foot buffer around heavy industrial uses and a 3,000-foot buffer around Airpark Dallas for regulation considerations","source_speaker":"Christina Day"}]

Proper_names

[{"name":"Plano","type":"location"},{"name":"Airpark Dallas","type":"location"},{"name":"Legacy","type":"location"},{"name":"Research Technology Crossroads","type":"location"},{"name":"LEED","type":"other"},{"name":"International Green Construction Code","type":"other"}]

Community_relevance

{"geographies":["Legacy","Downtown","Airpark Dallas","East Plano"],"funding_sources":[],"impact_groups":["homeowners","renters","developers","legacy businesses"]}

Meeting_context

{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":15,"duration_minutes":28,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"medium","history":[{"date":"2025-07-21","note":"Planning and Zoning held a work session; results included in the packet"}]}