PRESENTER: Presenter
Christopher J. Looney, AICP, Planning & Development Services Director
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SUBJECT: Title
Presentation and update on the Land Development Ordinance project.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning & Development Services
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Land Development Ordinance (LDO) project is overhauling, updating and merging the City’s development-related ordinances into a single, user-friendly document housed in a single chapter in the City’s Code of Ordinances. Adopting a new consolidated LDO meets 32 specific goals and strategies in Envision New Braunfels. The Comprehensive Plan very specifically calls for modernized rules for the built environment to encourage great urban design for existing and future centers through flexible and innovative development standards, alternatives and regulatory incentives.
The project began with community surveys which generated extensive input from our citizenry. Data from the surveys, key stakeholder interviews, and analysis of the current codes against Envision New Braunfels and modern best practices are noted in an Assessment Report. The report assesses the codes’ effectiveness in meeting the goals established by our citizens through Envision New Braunfels.
Two committees specific to the LDO project were created: the Citizens Advisory Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee. These committees have been providing detailed, in-depth review, edits and input of the draft modules developed thus far: Zoning and Development Standards. The public has also been weighing in on the draft modules at public open houses and via online feedback. The third installment, the draft Procedures module, is currently being prepared, with two additional modules to be developed in the months ahead.
Finally, staff has been meeting with other boards and commissions including the Workforce Housing Advisory Committee, the Downtown Board, and the Historic Landmark Commission to obtain their input on LDO topics related to their respective areas of oversight.
ISSUE:
The current development-related ordinances, including but not limited to the Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 144), Subdivision Platting Ordinance (Chapter 118), Sign Ordinance (Chapter 106), and Historic Preservation Ordinance (Chapter 66), were written separately and at different times in New Braunfels’ history. The current standards and limited development alternatives have unintended barriers to implementation of Envision New Braunfels, as well as other adopted City plans and policies. The current codes’ text-heavy format is not the easiest to read and leads to frequent customer inquiries. Additionally, the ordinances’ locations in different chapters in the City’s Code result in time-consuming cross-referencing, inconsistencies, and the need for periodic formal interpretation issuance.
The last time the zoning ordinance was comprehensively updated was 1987. While new zoning districts were added, the old zoning districts written in the 1960s were not removed and remain in the ordinance as “legacy districts”. The subdivision platting and historic preservation ordinances were written in the 1990s, and the sign ordinance was written in 2006. Much has changed over the last few decades including new development practices and financing requirements; new trends, best practices, and inventions; new science; and new state and federal laws, and Supreme Court rulings. While the City has made edits along the way to comply with changes, the LDO will bring the rest up to date and will consolidate the standards and procedures into a much easier to use document, with graphics, tables and flowcharts.
To more quickly advance some of the goals in the aforementioned plans, staff has brought forward several minor but impactful amendments ahead of LDO project completion. Some of those have included:
• More flexible duplex and accessory dwelling unit standards
• Updated standards for school design
• Streamlined bed-and-breakfast standards
• Updated standards for temporary storage containers/mobile storage pods
• Dark Skies standards for internally illuminated signs
• Lower multifamily density in the C-O District
• Missing-middle housing buffer fence relief
Additional “early-out” amendments coming forward in the next few weeks include:
• Clarification of music allowances adjacent to residential
• Codification of new platting procedure laws enacted by the Texas Legislature
• Streamlining of the process for sign-related appeals
• Revising waiver procedures when budget or safety are factors
More information about the project, process, scope, timeline, public input, modules and Assessment Report can be found at: www.newbraunfels.gov/ldo <http://www.newbraunfels.gov/ldo>
FISCAL IMPACT:
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RECOMMENDATION:
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