The Development Standards Committee told The Woodlands Township Board of Directors on May 28 that staff-level rules and new review procedures are intended to speed approvals for routine applications while the committee continues work on commercial standards and short-term rental enforcement.

Committee Director Arthur Breidenhoff, presenting the quarterly DSC update, said the committee handled about 314 applications in the first four months of 2025 and that roofs, generators and fences were the top three application types. "Sometimes this may be the only time that a resident comes before a committee and we want to make sure that experience is the best possible experience," he said.

Why it matters: Faster, clearer processes affect homeowners' project timelines and the township's enforcement capacity. The committee said quicker staff-level decisions will reduce backlog for routine matters while preserving the standards that govern The Woodlands.

What the committee reported: Breidenhoff described a recently enacted rule allowing staff to approve some roof color and material questions at the staff level when the Township's overall standards permit the change even though neighborhood criteria might still list different restrictions. "This new rule ... gives staff the opportunity to make those decisions at a staff level," Breidenhoff said. He emphasized the rule does not change design standards, only the process and speed of decision-making.

Short-term rentals: The committee said it has a short-term rental subcommittee composed of DSC members John Anthony Brown and Tricia Dento plus staff. The DSC has identified about 120 short-term rentals that have completed the township's approval process. Subcommittee work that used public listings turned up another 35–40 potential short-term rental listings that might not have registered with the township. Breidenhoff said staff will analyze that list and notify property owners where an application is required. "The other benefit ... is once you get them signed up, if residents have concern that they may not be running the short term rental according to the rules, now you have a process to document that and bring action against that particular applicant," Breidenhoff said.

Township staff member Brett described enforcement tools and legal limits, saying the Texas Supreme Court has ruled short-term rentals are residential uses and therefore cannot be prohibited outright. "We cannot stop it, but we can sure put all of the standards in place and the requirements we need to make sure they're being done in a safe and proper manner," Brett said.

Commercial standards and other items: The DSC reported a redraft of the commercial standards (last approved in 2011) and set a target to bring the revised standards forward for approval by July; if not ready, the committee intends to finish by year-end. The DSC also flagged topics for future rule review, including generator application turnaround, seasonal lighting standards, permeable pavers and lot drainage requirements.

Process and next steps: The DSC said it will continue joint meetings with the RDRCs; the first joint session of 2025 already took place in April and a second is scheduled for October. Breidenhoff said staff is considering hiring third-party assistance to identify unregistered short-term rentals and to support enforcement if the volume warrants it.

Board action: The board received and accepted the DSC report. A motion to receive and accept the report was moved by Director Frank and seconded by Director Schooley Gibbs; the motion carried.

Ending: The DSC presentation underscored incremental process changes and larger code rewrites running in parallel: quicker staff decisions for routine items now, and a multi-committee effort to update commercial standards and finalize short-term rental mapping later in 2025.