Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommends UVD zoning changes, sends memo to city council

The Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Bellaire on July 10 voted unanimously to recommend that City Council approve amendments to the city code governing the Urban Village Downtown District (UVD), Chapter 24, Article 5, Section 24-537.

Commissioners approved a standard memo to accompany the proposed ordinance changes and forwarded the amended UVD text to council for consideration.

The changes recommended by the commission mirror a package the commission has been developing for several months. Key changes noted in the staff recap and adopted by the commission include: removing multifamily as a by-right use so multifamily would be allowed only as part of a planned development (PD) application; reducing the maximum PD building height in the UVD from the previously allowed 79 feet to 53 feet; revising references to places of worship (replacing prior references to “church”); and adjusting minimum street-facing yard rules for very shallow lots (parcels under 100 feet deep) so the street-facing yard is set as a percentage of lot depth (5% of lot depth) rather than a fixed 10–15 foot standard. The commission also confirmed that the backlot/adjacent-residential height-setback plane in the district was adjusted to begin at 17 feet for the rear/adjacent edge where residential lots abut commercial property.

City Council liaison Mr. Witt noted the council recently adopted broader board-term limits and asked commissioners to keep certain design qualities in mind as changes proceed. "One of the things that I think makes our city unique is that when you drive down Bellaire and Bissonnet you see a bunch of trees," Witt said, urging commissioners to consider street trees and setbacks as part of the discussion.

Staff reported there was no public testimony at the commission's public hearing on the UVD amendments held June 12 and there were no written comments on the record. Commissioners then opened deliberations, asked clarifying questions (including confirmation of the revised rear/backlot height beginning at 17 feet), and moved to forward the package to City Council with a recommending memo. The motion carried unanimously.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes from June 12, 2025 — motion approved (procedural vote; no dissent recorded). - Recommendation on UVD amendments (Chapter 24, Art. 5, Sec. 24-537) — motion to recommend adoption by City Council approved unanimously; no public comments were reported during the June 12 hearing. - Commission memo to City Council regarding UVD amendments — motion to approve the standard memo and attachment approved unanimously. - Other formal items acted on the same night (see separate items below): election of chair and vice chair, adoption of the 2026 application submittal calendar, and adoption of the Planning & Zoning Commission rules of procedure (with a change to limit commissioners to two consecutive full terms). Those items passed during the same meeting; details are recorded in the commission minutes.

What happens next The commission’s recommendation and the standard memo will be transmitted to City Council. Council will receive the package and may schedule its own public hearing and votes. The commission indicated it will continue related zoning work (including companion work on the Corridor Mixed Use district) in upcoming workshops.

Ending The commission’s action was procedural (a recommendation) and does not by itself change zoning; final adoption rests with City Council. The commission’s record notes that staff will attach the marked-up language and the standard memo when forwarding the recommendation to council.