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Bellaire council adopts zoning amendments to align code with comprehensive plan
Summary
Council unanimously approved a set of zoning-code amendments (Chapter 24) that staff said are mainly editorial and cleanup, plus limited substantive changes such as removing an urban-village minimum building height and allowing expanded coverage for schools and places of worship with a specific-use permit (with one overlay district exempted).
Bellaire City Council on May 19 unanimously adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 24 (planning and zoning) to align the municipal code with the council'approved comprehensive plan and to correct editorial and substantive zoning rules.
City planning staff said most changes are technical and editorial. The substantive amendments include removing a minimum-height requirement in the Urban Village Downtown (UVD) district so the code relies on typical maximums rather than imposing a minimum building height; and preserving a 50% maximum lot coverage for schools and houses of worship but allowing up to 75% coverage when the city approves a specific-use permit in most zones. Council and planning staff recommended retaining the 50% limit for the Bel Air Boulevard Estates Overlay District (BBEOD), a neighborhood with larger lots across from Evelyn's Park, so that area remains at the lower coverage cap.
Gary (presenting as planning staff) told council the BBEOD lots were "the big lots, whereas we have smaller lots elsewhere that has been a greater constraint," and recommended leaving the 50% cap in that overlay but allowing flexibility elsewhere with council approval.
Nut graf: The ordinance is largely intended to remove inconsistencies, clarify special-district rules and give the council case-by-case authority to approve larger school and institutional footprints where lots and designs warrant it.
The council adopted the amendment by vote after a motion from Councilmember Wynne Lewis; the motion passed unanimously.
Ending: City staff said additional zoning amendments remain under consideration and asked property owners and residents to follow Planning & Zoning updates for upcoming items.
