Tomball reviews draft unified development code; council debates Old Town uses, gas stations, parking and ADUs

TOMBALL, Texas — Tomball city staff and consultants on Monday reviewed a draft unified development code intended to consolidate the city’s zoning, subdivision and sign regulations and align the ordinance with recent state law and the city’s recently adopted comprehensive plan.

“Big picture, today's question is what additional information or revisions are needed to the UDC before it can move forward into finalization and before the council would consider adoption?” said Erica Craycraft, project lead for Friess and Nichols, the consultant team preparing the draft.

The draft would roll separate zoning, subdivision, sign and manufactured-home ordinances into a single UDC, add a new medium-density multifamily district intended to accommodate “missing middle” housing (triplexes, fourplexes), update nonresidential and multifamily design and lighting standards, and introduce an “alternative compliance” pathway to allow staff-limited deviations on items such as parking or landscaping. Craycraft told the council the update also responds to recent state legislative changes and implements recommendations from the comprehensive plan adopted in early June.

Why it matters: the UDC sets the detailed rules that control where businesses and housing types may locate, how sites must be designed and the permitting process. Council members focused on several areas where changes could affect property owners and existing businesses: rules that could make certain existing uses “nonconforming,” the future treatment of fueling stations, a proposed change to how parking is calculated, and whether accessory dwelling units (ADUs) should be allowed by right.

Nonconforming uses, Old Town and mailed notices

Craycraft said the state legislature now requires…