Planning staff gives "Zoning 101" to Irving board, outlines variances, PUDs and notice rules

At the June 10, 2026 work session, planning staff delivered an extended zoning and land-development training to the Irving Board of Adjustment.

The presentation reviewed the city’s zoning history, including the Imagine Irving comprehensive plan adopted in 2017 and a 2020 update to the land-development code. Staff described zoning districts (for example, R6 and R75 for single-family lots), the role of planned unit developments (PUDs) such as Los Colinas and Valley Ranch, and the city’s Transit-Oriented Development standards tied to proximity to DART stations.

Planner Gina (presenter) also summarized PUD 6 (the former stadium site) as roughly 1,000 acres with about 452 buildable acres and said the city is using the PUD framework to guide mixed-use redevelopment. She highlighted recent street projects, including the Irving Boulevard reconstruction (staff said the project cost approximately $22 million).

On legal standards, staff reviewed the difference between variances (which require the board to find an "unnecessary hardship" under state law) and special exceptions (which are allowed by code under prescribed conditions). Staff reiterated procedural rules: property owners within 200 feet receive notice, cases typically take 60–90 days through the city’s online application process, and a four-of-five concurrence (75%) is required to grant variances or special exceptions.

The training closed with examples of when hardship criteria apply (lot configuration, financial tests tied to appraised value) and a reminder that the board’s role is to assess whether strict enforcement would result in practical difficulty or otherwise meet the state standard. Board members asked questions throughout about density categories, reuse of prototype commercial buildings, and whether the city has tools to address long-vacant prototype storefronts.