Dallas staff propose narrower parkland zones and higher fees; council to consider ordinance Nov. 12

Deputy Director Ryan O’Connor and Lakisha Gerder, planning manager with Dallas Parks, briefed the Parks, Trails and Environment Committee on proposed amendments to the parkland dedication ordinance on Nov. 3, prepared in response to a recent state law change affecting the largest Texas cities.

O’Connor said the state law limits land dedication to no more than 10% of a developable site if the city requires dedication and provides two fee-calculation options: a complex appraisal-based calculation using appraisal-district land values or a simpler cap not to exceed 2% of the city’s median family income (MFI). The law also ties fee liability to issuance of a certificate of occupancy rather than the building permit and excludes units defined as affordable under a city program from fee calculation. The city’s original parkland ordinance took effect July 1, 2019.

Staff proposed reducing the number of nexus zones from seven to five—expanding zone boundaries so collected fees aggregate more quickly—and removing unused credit mechanisms and…