HomeMy WebLinkAbout(0011) IR 20-10495 - Detached Multifamily - PD ZoningINFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 20-10495
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council October 20, 2020
Page 1 of 2
SUBJECT: USE OF PLANNED DEVELOPMENT "PD" ZONING FOR
k TA DETACHED MULTIFAMILY HOUSING
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The purpose of this Informal Report is to
clarify the use of Planned Development
"PD" zoning for new detached multifamily
housing. Detached multifamily is growing in
popularity and requests have increased
over the last few years. The City Council has
raised concerns related to the number of
site specific development standards that
differ from the base multifamily zoning
standards used to deliver this housing form.
Planned Development "PD" zoning is
intended to encourage unified design that is zc-zo-iio-
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not otherwise attainable under conventional Cottages
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base zoning districts. Because the City does
not have a base zoning district to allow by
Recent Detached MultifamilyCase in Fort Worth
right detached multifamily housing, existing
"C" Medium Density Multifamily or "D" High
Density Multifamily zoning is used as the base zoning to accommodate this form. The use of "PD"
zoning with a base of multifamily often requires a significant number of site specific development
standards and waivers because the multifamily zoning districts were created to allow traditional
multifamily development. Since detached multifamily is at a height, scale, and layout similar to single
family, some multifamily standards are no longer applicable and some single family standards are
desirable. The use of "PD" zoning allows applicants and staff to tailor existing multifamily base zoning
standards to meet the site conditions, desired development layout and form, and area context.
Over the last three years, the City Council has considered and approved eight rezoning requests for
detached multifamily developments. Staff recommends continued use of Planned Development "PD"
zoning until a survey other cities can be conducted to determine the best practices for regulating
detached multifamily housing. Staff will return in the Winter/Spring of 2021 to present findings and
recommendations for the regulation of detached multifamily developments.
The next page provides background information on housing types using the term "cottage." For any
questions on this report, please contact Arty Wheaton -Rodriguez, Planning Manager, at 817-392-6226.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 20-10495
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council October 20, 2020
Page 2 of 2
° SUBJECT: USE OF PLANNED DEVELOPMENT "PD" ZONING FOR
krA DETACHED MULTIFAMILY HOUSING
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Background
Cottage communities is a marketing term used to describe detached multifamily, but it does not
accurately describe the product. In general, Cottage Court and Cluster Developments are small infill
projects. They are typically for sale units. Detached multifamily developments are large scale projects
consisting mostly of one to two story structures closely resembling the typical layout of a single family
neighborhood. Units are usually for rent but can be rent -to -own or condominiums. In the past, staff has
utilized the name "Cottage Communities" which is an industry trade description. This name was chosen
because units were smaller in scale than single family and likened to "cottages."
Cottage Court and Cluster Developments
Popular between the 1930's and 1950's, Cottage Court
and Cluster Developments provided an affordable option
for those wanting to purchase a home. The homes
generally ranged from 500 to 1,000 square feet. Most city
ordinances reviewed limit this building form to a maximum
of 12 units. Usually, units are built as fee simple homes or
condominiums. Units can be attached or detached.
This type of development is not common in North Texas.
Elements of this development form can be found in Typical Cottage Court Development
traditional neighborhood developments like Hometown in
North Richland Hills and Trinity Lakes in Fort Worth where some units face a common green with alleys.
Detached Multifamily Developments
These developments are entire communities and neighborhoods that look and feel like a traditional
single family neighborhood. Although most are rental, some may be rent — to — own or condominium.
Like other multifamily developments, they are professionally managed and include amenities. These
developments provide renters with an option that looks
and feels like a single family neighborhood. According to
the National Association of Home Builders, 37,000 of
these units were built in 2017 and 43,000 in 2018
nationwide. Although the national trend has slowed
recently, an increase has been seen in Fort Worth.
Units in these developments have similar square footage
to cottage court and cluster home developments with an
average unit size of just over 1,000 square feet. As such,
the name "Cottage Development" has been used to
describe this product even though they do not resemble
the overall form, layout, ownership model, and size of
cottage court and cluster developments.
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Typical Built — To — Rent/Detached
Multifamily Development
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS