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Council rezones southern downtown area to Mixed‑Use Downtown to spur infill; vote 7–0
Summary
After staff described floodplain remediation and outreach, council approved rezoning of roughly 43.7 acres to a Mixed Use Downtown district to encourage infill development, reduced parking requirements and compact housing; protections for existing single‑family properties and height transitions were included.
The city initiated a zoning change to expand the Mixed‑Use Downtown (MD) district into a portion of southern downtown previously in the floodplain and currently zoned Mixed‑Use Neighborhood. Staff told council that a recent municipal flood‑control project removed the floodplain barrier and that the change to MD would implement goals from the Design Downtown Denton plan.
Shawn Jacobson, planning staff, said MD zoning allows more flexibility for small‑lot development, reduced parking minimums, and policies intended to support infill housing and commercial reinvestment. Staff emphasized protections remain in place: a height‑transition buffer limits taller buildings near existing single‑family homes, landscaping and screening requirements apply to multifamily and commercial interfaces, and a list of existing single‑family homes that will remain conforming was included in the ordinance attachment.
Denton Main Street representatives and downtown business owners spoke in favor, describing the change as a tool to support downtown vibrancy and small business growth. Staff reported 12 public responses in support and five in opposition after outreach and two neighborhood meetings; Planning & Zoning recommended approval. Council then voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.
What’s next: the zoning change will be implemented through code amendments and will inform forthcoming development proposals; staff also signaled pending work on food‑truck regulation and other downtown code changes in follow‑up sessions.
