Bellaire holds public hearing on proposed Chapter 24 zoning and sign ordinance changes

City Council of the City of Bellaire held a public hearing in March 2025 on proposed text amendments to Chapter 24 of the city code, which covers planning and zoning. The measure, initiated after the city adopted a new comprehensive plan, would reorganize the chapter, make editorial updates, change several zoning‑district regulations in the Urban Village Downtown (UBD) area, and rewrite sign rules to comply with federal content‑neutrality requirements.

The proposal was introduced by Travis Tanner, director of development services, and presented in detail by Gary Mitchell of Kennedy Collaborative. Mitchell told council the package contains three categories of changes: editorial reorganization, substantive zoning‑district regulation changes, and sign‑regulation updates. He said staff proposed removing a minimum building‑height requirement in the UBD and reducing the maximum lot or site coverage in much of UBD while increasing permitted…