Dallas Parkland-dedication ordinance revised to conform with HB 1526; commission approves amendments

The Dallas City Planning Commission on Feb. 13 approved changes to the city’s parkland-dedication ordinance to conform with Texas House Bill 1526 and to simplify the code used to generate funds for park acquisition and development. The commission approved staff and ZOAC-recommended changes with a small set of amendments, including limits on how much of the fund can be used for indirect or overhead costs.

Deputy Director Ryan O’Connor of Dallas Park and Recreation told the commission the state law passed in 2023 required changes for the five largest Texas cities and gave Dallas an opportunity to simplify a complex existing ordinance. “This is really one of the very few intersections of the Dallas Park System and the development code… the reason, of course, we’re here today is parkland dedication,” O’Connor said at the start of the presentation.

Park Planning manager Lakisha Gerter presented the draft ordinance changes, saying staff recommends a flat fee tied to median family income (MFI) rather than the state’s more complex “standard calculation.” Under the recommendation, the city would use a maximum 2%-of-MFI flat fee for most residential units, with differentiated rates proposed for one-bedroom multifamily units (1%) and…