Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council rezones 6.5 acres for Denton County Family Justice Center; county awarded $8 million for phase one
Summary
The council approved a planned-development zoning on March 25 to enable a Family Justice Center for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; Friends of the Family plans a single, secured building with transitional housing, childcare and on-site pet care; Denton County awarded $8,000,000 for phase one construction.
The Denton City Council voted 6–0 on March 25 to rezone about 6.5 acres on the east side of North Bonnie Brae Street from R-7 (residential) to a Planned Development (PD) with a base R-7 zoning to allow a Family Justice Center campus run by the nonprofit Friends of the Family.
Julie Wyatt, a principal planner, described the PD as supporting a one-building campus that would co-locate transitional housing, daycare, administrative and medical offices, and a pet kennel to allow victims to bring pets. The building’s design centers on a secure, fenced courtyard and separate public and secure areas; pedestrian connections will tie the site to a future trail on Bonnie Brae and to an adjacent elementary school under construction. Wyatt said landscaping includes a naturalized prairie buffer along Bonnie Brae to reduce conflicts with nearby electrical facilities.
Amy Bissett and Tony Johnson Simpson of Friends of the Family explained the program goals. Simpson said the center will allow coordinated, multidisciplinary services so a victim can "tell her story one time" and be cleared through central intake for services — law enforcement access, medical services, childcare and transitional housing would be collocated. Bissett said the R-7 base zoning is generally consistent with proposed uses and that the PD allows specific uses such as an on-site kennel that R-7 would not permit by right.
Denton County awarded $8,000,000 to Friends of the Family for phase one construction; the property was donated by the Razer family in Feb. 2022. Staff said notices were mailed and one response in favor was received; Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval; staff recommended approval as consistent with the comprehensive plan.
Motion and vote: Council member Jill Jester (District 6) moved approval and Representative from District 5 seconded; the measure passed 6–0.
Why it matters: Co-locating services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault aims to streamline intake and services — including medical, legal and housing assistance — and reduce barriers such as childcare or the inability to bring pets. The campus will add social-service capacity to northern Denton and will connect to nearby schools and parks.
Next steps: Friends of the Family and staff will move forward with design and permit review; staff coordination with Denton ISD and parks on site access and pedestrian connections will continue.
