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College Station council directs staff to draft changes to "family" definition and to explore a shared-housing/congregate-living category
Summary
Council heard a wide-ranging workshop on the city's UDO family definition after Senate Bill 1567; staff recommended keeping the general family definition to comply with state law while adding a physical-criteria-based shared-housing or congregate-living designation to regulate future developments. Council voted to direct staff to prepare an ordinance that would adopt a clarified definition including the phrase "including but not limited to those related by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship."
Council members spent an extended workshop considering the local effects of Senate Bill 1567 on the Unified Development Ordinance's definition of "family" and options for re-establishing enforceable controls on high-occupancy or student-oriented housing.
Anthony Armstrong, client development services, explained that state law required a broadly worded definition of family to avoid limiting occupancy by relation. He told council that while the current language—"any number of persons occupying a single dwelling unit"—keeps the city in compliance, it removes a straightforward way to identify shared-housing uses. Armstrong outlined options to make shared housing enforceable again based on physical characteristics: bed/bath parity, absence of master bedroom, capped impervious cover, or classification as a congregate living facility that could trigger sprinkler and multifamily standards.
Council members raised safety, enforcement and fairness questions. Councilmember Yancey moved that staff return with an ordinance that adopts a clarified family definition phrased "a family is any number of persons occupying a single dwelling unit, including but not limited to those related by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship," and staff were directed to draft that ordinance for a future regular agenda. Mayor Nichols and others emphasized the need to keep any shared-housing standards tied to observable, physical criteria rather than familial relationship, to remain consistent with state law. Anthony Armstrong confirmed that existing structures would be grandfathered and that the shared-housing designation would mainly regulate new construction or major remodels.
Multiple councilmembers and citizen speakers said they wanted staff to also return with a workable congregate-living/shared-housing approach that allows staff to flag high-density proposals, imposes safety measures such as sprinklers where appropriate, and provides an appeal mechanism. No ordinance was adopted at the workshop; council gave staff direction to prepare the formal language and return for adoption.
