Colleyville council adopts e‑bike rules, approves fence variance after heated corner‑yard dispute; several zoning items pass

The Colleyville City Council on May 13 adopted a new ordinance regulating electric bicycles and scooters, resolved a months‑long dispute over a corner property fence with a 5‑2 vote, and approved several zoning and special‑use items including two massage‑therapy permits and a rezoning to allow a 10‑lot single‑family subdivision.

The council approved the e‑bike and e‑scooter ordinance (Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑329) after a lengthy staff presentation and more than an hour of public comment that ranged from teen riders urging access to elderly and pedestrian speakers asking for tighter limits. Assistant City Manager Adrienne Lottery and Colleyville police staff led the presentation. Councilmembers debated age thresholds, helmet requirements and speed limits before voting 7‑0 to pass the measure with the revisions discussed at the meeting.

Under the ordinance passed, class 1 and 2 electric bicycles and electric scooters are allowed on public sidewalks, paved city trails and local streets. The council set age thresholds and safety rules: operators of class 1 and 2 devices must be at least 10 years old; class 3 electric bicycles are limited to riders 15 and older; the council also adopted a requirement that riders under 16 wear helmets. The council set maximum speeds for devices on city surfaces in the ordinances adopted at the meeting (sidewalks and local paved trails: 10 mph; Cotton Belt regional trail segment: 20 mph) and prohibited “pocket” mini‑motorbikes on public property. The council and staff emphasized education and warnings as the primary initial enforcement strategy; the ordinance also establishes a graduated penalty structure as presented during staff briefings and gives officers discretion to issue warnings and require safety training in lieu of immediate fines in many cases.

Council discussion and public comment on the e‑bike proposal were robust: several parents, cyclists, runners and students spoke. A 14‑year‑old student, Carter Dewey, described how an e‑bike provides transportation and independence for teens; other speakers, including residents who said they had seen repeated reckless riding near schools and parks, urged stronger enforcement and protections for pedestrians. Council members said they want a public education campaign, signage and outreach as part of implementation.

The council also decided a high‑profile corner‑yard case at 405 Oak Crest Hills Drive (Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑326) after prolonged public comment and Planning & Zoning debate. The property owner, Roger Presnell, said his family’s privacy and prior permit interactions had been mishandled by staff and sought permission to install an 8‑foot solid cedar fence on the street‑side property line. Planning & Zoning had recommended a less‑opaque wrought‑iron style on the property line with temporary screening to address aesthetics and line‑of‑sight concerns; the issue drew a large public turnout and testimony from neighbors and Planning & Zoning vice chair David Groves, who described the commission’s deliberations.

After discussion and several compromise proposals from council members, the council voted 5‑2 to allow the owner to install an 8‑foot cedar privacy fence aligned with the 10‑foot building line (i.e., set back behind the front corner of the house) running from the southeast corner of the house to the adjacent lot line. The motion included a 90‑day window for the owner to exercise the option; if the owner does not construct the fence within 90 days the city will reimburse the owner $3,800 in documented costs the owner incurred to remove and replace a fence during the permitting dispute. Councilmembers who opposed the motion said they were concerned about setting an exception for corner properties that could lead to inconsistent street‑side appearances over time; supporters said they were balancing neighborhood character, the applicant’s hardship and public‑safety sight‑line concerns.

Other zoning and land‑use votes: - The council approved two special‑use permits allowing massage‑therapy businesses at 4508 Colleyville Boulevard, Suite B (Anaterra Thai Massage LLC — Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑324) and 4906 Colleyville Boulevard, Suite 200 (High Stone Holistic Wellness — Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑325). Staff added a requirement that applicants demonstrate compliance with Texas state licensing rules for massage‑therapy operations; both ordinances passed 7‑0. - The council approved a special‑use permit at 5411 Sycamore Court allowing replacement and modest height increase of an existing fence in the street‑side yard (Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑327). The property owner was allowed to replace a dilapidated fence in the same location with an 8‑foot fence because the site and existing vegetation made a back‑set impractical; the vote was 7‑0. - The council approved a rezoning request to rezone about 11.81 acres off John McCain Road from agricultural (AG) to R‑40 single‑family to allow a proposed 10‑lot subdivision (Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑328). Staff and the developer said proposed drainage work would collect and discharge runoff to a downstream outfall; the developer and engineers told council they will build a level‑spreader outfall and other erosion‑control measures agreed with neighbors’ consultants. After public comment asking for more time, the council voted to approve (vote recorded by council at the meeting).

Finance and budget items: the council held the first reading of an ordinance to increase the residential homestead exemption. Staff explained a proposed increase in the homestead exemption from 7% to 14% and said the increase is part of a broader budget strategy staff will finalize over the summer — intended to protect typical homeowners from tax increases while generating additional revenue to implement a compensation study and other cost increases. That homestead measure had its first reading and will return for a second reading before becoming final.

Votes at a glance (select items): - Election: Council elected Brandy Elder as Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Richardson as deputy mayor pro tem (motion approved 7‑0). - Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑324 (Anaterra Thai Massage, SU permit at 4508 Colleyville Blvd): adopted 7‑0. - Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑325 (High Stone Holistic Wellness, SU permit at 4906 Colleyville Blvd): adopted 7‑0. - Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑326 (405 Oak Crest Hills Drive, SUP to allow 8‑ft cedar fence on a corner lot aligned with the 10‑ft build line, with 90‑day installation window and $3,800 reimbursement if unused): adopted 5‑2. - Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑327 (5411 Sycamore Court, fence replacement/height adjustment in street side yard): adopted 7‑0. - Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑328 (rezoning to R‑40, 11.81 acres off John McCain for a 10‑lot subdivision): adopted by council (vote recorded at meeting). - Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑329 (electric bicycle/e‑scooter regulations): adopted 7‑0 with the edits discussed at the meeting (age limits, helmet requirement for under 16, speed thresholds, prohibition on pocket bikes, emphasis on education and enforcement discretion).

Why it matters: The e‑bike ordinance lays out the city’s first comprehensive approach to electric personal mobility — balancing access for riders with pedestrian safety and enforcement clarity — and the Oak Crest decision is likely to shape future requests for corner‑lot fencing and neighborhood aesthetic debates. The R‑40 zoning will add larger single‑family lots to the city and prompted technical discussion about drainage and sidewalks that neighbors asked staff and the developer to address.

What’s next: The homestead exemption measure returns for a second reading; staff will produce implementation materials for the new e‑bike rules, including a public education campaign, and the Oak Crest homeowner has 90 days to act under the council’s motion. Planning & Zoning will continue to review fence and special‑use requests and staff will coordinate the drainage and sidewalk details for the John McCain rezoning as the developer begins engineering and permitting work.

(Full motions, ordinance numbers and vote tallies are listed in the council’s official minutes.)