City Planning Commission approves changes to Dallas parkland dedication ordinance following HB 15‑26

The City Planning Commission on Feb. 13 approved amendments to Dallas's parkland dedication rules, a move staff said was needed to conform the city's code to Texas House Bill 15‑26 and to simplify the prior, more complex ordinance.

The approved changes replace a previously layered formula with a simpler flat-fee approach and redraw the dedication funding zones from seven to five. Under the version sent forward by park staff and amended by the commission, fees will be capped at a flat percentage of median family income for most housing types and the city will retain the right to pursue land dedication in limited, high-need cases.

Why it matters: Parkland dedication fees are a locally controlled way to raise money for new parks and park development. The commission's vote reshapes how developers pay into the system and how the city can spend funds — a consequential change for how the city pays for future park acquisitions and improvements.

What the changes do - Fee structure: The ordinance adopts a flat-fee calculation option allowed by HB 15‑26 as staff's preferred approach. That formula sets a maximum equal to 2% of the city's five-year average median family income (MFI). Staff showed a five-year MFI of $65,400 and said, "2% of that fee is $1,308 and that's how we came up with that calculation," (Lakisha Gerter, Park Planning manager). The language adopted preserves both the flat-fee option and the…