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Denton City Council

Denton City Council

09/26/23

October 18, 2023

Welcome to Ultraground. We go to zoning meetings for you.

September 26

Southeast Denton

14-Acre Multifamily AESA Plan | Approved

Citywide

Reasonable Accommodation, Elderly Housing, Community Home, and Group Home Code Updates | Approved

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CITYWIDE

Code Updates

Reasonable Accommodation | Elderly Housing | Community Home | Group Home

Approved

The Denton City Council voted to approve an ordinance updating the city's zoning and development code related to reasonable accommodation requests, elderly housing, community homes, and group homes.

The ordinance aimed to provide more clarity in the code and ensure consistency with state and federal disability laws. It established a separate reasonable accommodation application procedure with specific approval criteria focused on removing barriers for disabled persons. It also updated the city's use tables and parking standards related to housing for elderly and disabled populations.

The code changes received overall positive feedback, though some council members and residents expressed concerns about certain provisions.

Council Member Vicki Byrd raised concerns about reducing the parking requirement for group homes to just one space per bedroom, commenting:

‟I was thinking that a lot of times those group homes have maybe one or two employees. So keeping that at least the parking space or two available for that would sound reasonable to me.

Council Member Vicki Byrd

The Planning and Zoning Commission had voted 7-0 in favor of the code updates, with their only suggested change being to route reasonable accommodation appeals directly to City Council rather than the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Council approved this amendment to the appeals process.

Overall, the code changes were praised for providing clearer regulations and aligning with state law regarding housing for elderly and disabled persons. The ordinance passed unanimously, though future tweaks to standards like group home parking may be revisited.

Staff Report: DCA23-0001b

Cyrene at Hickory Creek SWC Hickory Creek Rd & FM 2499

Southeast Denton | 14.2 Acres | Approved

The Denton City Council voted 4-2 to approve an Alternative Environmentally Sensitive Area (AESA) plan for a proposed 14-acre residential development called Cyrene at Hickory Creek. However, the approval came with concerns raised about potential flooding impacts.

The AESA plan proposed mitigation for impacts to riparian buffers and undeveloped floodplains to accommodate infrastructure for the new development located at the southwest corner of Hickory Creek Road and FM 2499.

The developer completed an environmentally sensitive area field assessment and restoration plan to offset ESA removal. Their plan included invasive plant removal, native plant restoration, a tree protection plan, and meeting floodplain regulatory requirements.

The Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval 6-1. However, at this Council meeting, Council Member Paul Meltzer expressed worries about adding impervious surfaces and the project's effects on stormwater runoff and flooding:

‟I'm concerned that we're running the risk here...I'm not yet convinced about the stormwater runoff management for this. The impacting of the whole future homes in this parcel and the downstream homes and to some lesser degree, the upstream homes, very much concerns me.

Paul Meltzer Council Member District 3

In response, city staff highlighted engineering reviews of the drainage and floodplain impacts, noting requirements for developments to meet the city's drainage standards. But Meltzer maintained his objections and voted against the AESA plan.

The outcome shows that even with proper mitigation plans and regulatory compliance, proposals affecting floodplains or natural buffers can still draw opposition on flooding grounds.

Developer: Curve Development

Staff Report: AESA22-0004b