The Garland City Council on Jan. 7 voted to direct staff to prepare a development agreement that, if approved later, would allow a property owner to add a second kitchen in a single-family estate home intended for multigenerational living.

Planning staff explained the request stems from a definitional limit in the Garland Development Code (GDC) that defines a single-family dwelling as having no more than one cooking facility. The applicant seeks relief so the homeowner can build an oversized home intended to house multiple generations.

Staff said the building code does not limit kitchens but the local development code’s definition does; the planning director has authority to pursue alternative compliance and the city attorney recommended using a development agreement to apply case‑specific terms without changing the GDC for future applicants. The council approved moving forward with a development agreement with no stipulations.

Councilmembers and the applicant discussed process and timing: the applicant expressed concern about construction timing; staff said the building permit was issued contingent upon approval and that, if council ultimately declines the requested exception, the planned second-kitchen area could be converted to another use such as a wet bar.

Why it matters: The action allows this property—planned as a substantially larger-than‑typical single‑family estate dwelling—to proceed with a path for a case‑specific exception to the GDC definition through a development agreement, subject to final council approval.

The meeting record contains conflicting size figures in the exchange: planning staff described the house as “approximately 10,000 square foot,” while the applicant later described the house as “7,500 square foot.”