HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 22465-10-2016 ORDINANCE NO. 22465-10-2016
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE
CITY OF FORT WORTH, BEING ORDINANCE NO. 21653, AS
AMENDED, CODIFIED AS APPENDIX "A" OF THE CODE OF THE
CITY OF FORT WORTH, BY AMENDING ARTICLE 5 "TEXT OR MAP
AMENDMENTS", OF CHAPTER 31 "REVIEW PROCEDURES,"
SECTIONS 3.503 THROUGH 3.506 REVISE THE PROCESS FOR
ZONING APPLICATION WITHDRAWALS; PROVIDING THAT THIS
ORDINANCE SHALL BE CUMULATIVE; PROVIDING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE;
PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER;
AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, the current procedure for accepting a zoning application withdrawal after
notice but prior to the public hearing requires the Zoning Commission to hold a public hearing
and make a recommendation for denial on the proposal to amend the zoning; and
WHEREAS, on a recommendation of denial by the Zoning Commission, the request for
the withdrawal of the zoning application must currently be acted on by the City Council for the
withdrawal of the zoning application to be accepted; and
WHEREAS, the current procedure requires applicants and citizens to attend several
meetings after the request to withdraw the zoning application to ensure that the withdrawal has
been accepted by the City Council and the application has terminated; and
WHEREAS, it is proposed to amend the process to provide that a zoning application
must be accepted for withdrawal by staff or the Zoning Commission which would terminate the
zoning application and eliminate the necessity of the City Council to act on the withdrawal
request; and
WHEREAS, it is also proposed that a twelve month waiting period apply to those zoning
withdrawal requests that are submitted after the Zoning Commission has acted to recommend
denial of the zoning change;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS
SECTION 1.
Chapter 3 "Review Procedures", the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Fort Worth, is
hereby amended to revise Article 5 "Text or Map Amendments", to amend Sections 3.503
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through 3.506 to add a process for zoning application withdrawals and retaining the graphic, to
read as follows:
Sec. 3.503 ZONING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING AND
RECOMMENDATION.
The Zoning Commission shall hold public hearings on all properly filed, noticed and
meeting agenda posted proposals. After closing of the public hearing on a proposal, the Zoning
Commission shall transmit to the City Council its recommendation on said proposal. For zoning
application withdrawals see Section 3.506.
Sec. 3.504 CITY COUNCIL HEARING AND ACTION.
(a) Zoning Commission recommendation and council hearing. Every proposal to amend
a zoning boundary which is recommended for approval or denial by the Zoning
Commission and every proposed amendment to the regulations of this ordinance shall
be forwarded to the City Council for a public hearing as required by state law. No
change, however, shall become effective until after the adoption of an ordinance and
its publication as required by law.
(b) City council action. Upon receipt of the final report and recommendation of the
Zoning Commission, the City Council may:
(1) Approve the application;
(2) Deny the application with prejudice;
(3) Deny the application without prejudice as to the re-filing upon showing that
unnecessary hardship will otherwise result and that the intent and spirit of the
ordinance will be observed; or
(4) Refer the original proposal to the Zoning Commission for a new hearing, report
and recommendation.
(5) Accept a request to withdraw the application.
Sec. 3.505 WITHDRAWAL AND REAPPLICATION
(a) The applicant shall submit in writing the withdrawal request to the Zoning
Administrator.
(b) The action on the withdrawal request shall be based on the timing of the request
as follows:
(1) An applicant may withdraw an application prior to written notice of the
Zoning Commission public hearing. The City shall not take further action
on the application.
(2) A request to withdraw an application after written notice or after the
application is posted on a Zoning Commission public hearing agenda or
during the Zoning Commission meeting must be approved by the Zoning
Commission. The City shall not take further action on the application.
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(3) After the Zoning Commission public hearing, an applicant may withdraw
an application a prior to it being posted on the City Council's agenda. The
City shall not take further action on the application.
(4) A request to withdraw an application after it is placed on a posted agenda
or during the City Council public hearing is at the City Council's
discretion. The City Council may take any action described in Section
3.504(b). The decision of the City Council is final.
(c) Subject to the limitations in Section 3.506, to re-initiate review, the applicant shall
submit a new application and fee.
Sec. 3.506 LIMITATION ON REAPPLICATION.
When a proposal is denied by the City Council or when the applicant has withdrawn after
a recommendation of denial of the proposal by the Zoning Commission no new applications of
like nature shall be accepted by the city or scheduled for a hearing by the Zoning Commission
within a period of 12 months of the date of denial or withdrawal unless the proposal is denied
without prejudice; provided, however, on receipt of written request by the original applicant
describing substantially changed conditions in the community since prior consideration of the
proposal so as to justify an earlier review of this matter, the City Council may waive the
mandatory delay period and authorize the acceptance of a new application.
SECTION 2.
This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances and of the Code of the
City of Fort Worth, Texas (2015), as amended, except where the provisions of this ordinance are
in direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such Code, in which event
conflicting provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3.
It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs,
sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause,
sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid
judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not
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affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this
ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the
incorporation in this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph
or section.
SECTION 4.
Any person, firm, or corporation, who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to
comply with or who resists the enforcement of any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be
fined not more than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) for each offense. Each day that a
violation exists shall constitute a separate offense.
SECTION 5.
All rights and remedies of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, are expressly saved as to any
and all violations of the provisions of Ordinances No. 3011, 13896 and any other ordinances
affecting zoning which have accrued at the time of the effective date of this ordinance, and, as to
such accrued violations and all pending litigation, both civil and criminal, whether pending in
court or not, under such ordinances, same shall not be affected by this ordinance but may be
prosecuted until final disposition by the courts.
SECTION 6.
The City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, is hereby directed to publish the
caption, penalty clause and effective date of this ordinance for two (2) days in the official
newspaper of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, as authorized by Section 52.013, Texas Local
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Government Code.
SECTION 7.
All other provisions of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Fort Worth not herein
amended shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 8.
This ordinance shall take effect upon adoption and publication as required by law.
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
By:
Melinda Ramos, fAa&J— er,
Sr. Assistant City Attorney City Secretary
ADOPTED: October 11, 2016
EFFECTIVE: ekv►bxr 31 ,90
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