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INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8610
June 22, 2004
, TE To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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SUBJECT: SINGLE-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
At its April 15 retreat, the City Council received a briefing on single-family residential development trends
and, after extensive discussion, directed staff to prepare specific recommendations for the following items:
• Density: A policy to address the location of various single-family housing densities, whereby higher-
density single-family housing would be located closer to mixed-use growth centers and lower-density
housing would be located further away from those areas.
• Design: Design regulations for all single-family housing and more detailed standards for City-
sponsored housing.
• Value and Affordability: A policy to balance the goals of maximizing housing value and providing
affordable housing.
Accordingly, staff has presented the following recommendations to the Council's Central City Revitalization
and Economic Development Committee (CCREDC) on June 8 and to the Housing and Workforce
0-0110velopment Committee (HWDC) on June 15:
• Amend the Land Use element of the Comprehensive Plan to add a policy statement about lot sizes,
dealing with compatibility and proximity to mixed-use growth centers;
• Amend the Zoning Ordinance to require garages to be located at or behind the fronts of houses, and
to prohibit front yard parking except in driveways;
• Adopt an ordinance establishing specific design standards for City-sponsored housing (i.e. units
receiving grants, loans, tax abatements, or discounted land), dealing with garages, landscaping, and
traditional design elements; and
• Amend the Housing element of the Comprehensive Plan to add a policy statement about balancing
the value and affordability of single-family housing.
At its June 8 meeting, the CCREDC asked staff to do the following:
• Prepare a proposed format for single-family zoning analyses, comparable to our current multi-family
zoning analyses, whereby we might provide the Zoning Commission and the City Council with
information relating to compatibility with surrounding lot sizes and proximity to mixed-use growth
centers.
• Review the City's zoning regulations as they apply to driveways so as determine whether or not
those regulations adequately distinguish driveways from parking lots.
• Meet with pertinent community organizations to discuss the proposed single-family residential
development standards in general and the following topics in particular:
a. Potential incentives to promote large-lot development, including amendments to the City's street
design and drainage standards; and
lor b. Measures to promote quality construction in order to sustain housing values.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8610
June 22, 2004
,,�,eg-a To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2 of 2
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SUBJECT: SINGLE-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Furthermore, the HWDC on June 15 asked staff to present the following additional proposed standards to
those community organizations for their review and comment:
Citywide Housinq
• Minimum house size of 1,200 square feet
• Garages
• Paved driveways
• Engineered foundations
• Pitched roofs (i.e. 8/12)
• Masonry building materials (i.e. 100% of exterior)
• Multiple-pane windows
• Landscaping (i.e. two trees in the parkway, one tree and six shrubs in the front yard)
City-Sponsored Housing
• Minimum of three bedrooms
W " • Minimum of two baths
In response to the HWDC request, staff has incorporated those additional items into the presentation for
community organizations and will brief the CCREDC and the HWDC in July on the comments that we
receive.
Should you have any questions regarding the proposed single-family housing standards, please contact
Fernando Costa, Planning Director, at 817-392-8042.
IN '
Gary acks
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS