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DeSoto board presses to clear zoning, RFP plans as Hampton Road projects stall
Summary
Board members and staff discussed stalled redevelopment at the Hampton Road and Beltline intersection, citing missing mixed‑use zoning, adjacent parcel uncertainty and developer risk. Staff said an RFP and design work are planned; rezoning will be raised at an August joint meeting if unresolved.
Board members at the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation on Thursday pressed staff to accelerate rezoning and design work at the Hampton Road and Beltline intersection, saying uncertainty over zoning and adjacent parcels is deterring developers.
The board heard that the city now owns two key parcels at the intersection — roughly 24 acres on the south‑southwest corner and a second site at the northwest corner now occupied by Community Missionary Baptist Church — and plans to produce a limited RFP to the development community. Staff said the RFP will include design guidance and opinions of probable cost for intersection work, and that design firms have been asked to advise on engagement with TxDOT.
Why it matters: Board members said delays on rezoning and the absence of mixed‑use character code at key intersections are prompting potential tenants and developers to pause. Private developers face real carrying costs while properties are under contract; several speakers said that uncertainty makes underwriting and financing riskier and can cause projects to move elsewhere.
Matt, a staff presenter, said the city plans to use the RFP to test development concepts and to share results with council. He described the work as part of a broader push to create “a frictionless environment that people want to develop in,” and added that a new development services director and a new planning manager have recently joined the city to help advance the work.
Board members gave a concrete example: a private owner proposing a new restaurant building described in the meeting as a roughly $3,000,000 project has delayed final construction because rezoning rules and adjacency conditions (setbacks, parking and circulation) remain unresolved. Staff said those details cannot be finalized until a rezoning decision establishes form, parking and placement expectations.
Members asked staff to add Hampton Road rezoning to the agenda of an August joint meeting of boards, commissions and council so the council can hear the issue directly. Staff also said it is developing a dashboard to track project status and stages, which board members requested to improve accountability and speed interventions.
Board members stressed the cost of delay. “Time kills things,” one board member said, urging quicker timelines and clearer communication with potential investors.
Staff indicated the character code for Hampton Road was adopted previously but that implementing mixed‑use zoning categories remains unfinished and is being prioritized. Board members and staff agreed to pursue the RFP and to return with a clearer schedule and updated materials to present to council and to the public.
The board did not take formal regulatory action during the discussion; members asked staff to report back with the RFP timeline, draft zoning language options and the dashboard metrics.
