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Consultants begin diagnostic review of DeSoto zoning code; commissioners press for clearer standards and public notice
Summary
Consultants told the Planning and Zoning Commission they are two months into a five-month diagnostic of DeSoto’s zoning and subdivision ordinances; commissioners emphasized fixing frequent deviations, inconsistent SUP outcomes, side-yard setbacks, and public-notice gaps.
The Planning and Zoning Commission held a work session with consultant Wilson Kerr to review a diagnostic study of the city’s zoning and subdivision ordinances and to gather commissioner input for a later code rewrite.
Kerr, the project manager on the diagnostic team, said the work is a five-month engagement; the project is currently in month two and includes stakeholder interviews with city staff, developers, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and a developer survey. “My name is Wilson Kerr. I'm the project manager on the diagnostic report project that we are working on,” Kerr said, and added that a draft diagnostic will go to city staff in July for review.
Commissioners used the session to identify recurring code issues the diagnostic should address. Several members said the frequent use of Planned Developments or deviations suggests the written code is out of date; one commissioner noted repeated side-yard setback requests and raised life-safety concerns about shrinking setbacks. Multiple commissioners criticized inconsistency in Specific Use Permit (SUP) outcomes: “I just don't see them working consistently the same way across the city,” Chair Brooks said, citing perceptions of subjectivity.
Commissioners also pressed for stronger and earlier public outreach. One commissioner recommended more visible, neighborhood-level notice and clearer public-facing explanations so residents understand what is under consideration before a hearing. Commissioners suggested codifying higher standards for screening, setbacks, required green space, and pedestrian infrastructure, and raised practical process issues such as ensuring required traffic and engineering studies are available before a case is brought forward.
Kerr said staff and the consultant team will synthesize the commissioners’ feedback into the diagnostic and that the final diagnostic will guide the subsequent code rewrite. He stressed the team’s intent to align the code with current industry standards and with existing city plans, such as the comprehensive plan and the Hampton Road corridor plan.
Next steps: draft diagnostic to staff in July, follow-up council work session scheduled and continued stakeholder outreach.
