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January 2023
Raise your hand if you have had trouble finding a home that fits your family’s needs. Research indicates that the number of Houstonians who face this challenge has grown in recent years. It is not just about price; it’s also about the type of housing that city codes encourage – and discourage. You’ve heard me mention the Livable Places Action Committee several times in this space. This committee has given the Planning team clear recommendations on how to improve our development codes so that we can encourage a wider variety of housing types that Houstonians need.

For instance, maybe you have an aging relative, and you want to build a garage apartment in your back yard to keep them close. Maybe you want that garage apartment because you need some extra income. Maybe you live alone and want to live in a pocket neighborhood with small lots and open space you can share with your neighbors. Maybe you have a multi-generational household and want one building to house yourself, your parents and your adult children.

Current regulations make building these types of homes difficult and expensive to build. Over the next few months, you will hear our proposals to change that. We hope you stay tuned. Please check out the info on the Livable Places website and check out the video that explains our housing recommendations below.

If you’d like us to talk with your neighborhood group, please call and ask for a presentation. We are over the moon excited about how this will help Houstonians find the right type of home for their needs.

How we live shapes much of our lives — from who we see on a regular basis, to how we get to work, to where our kids can attend school. Increasing housing choices across Houston means more people can find the solution that best fits them and their family.

Margaret Wallace Brown, A.I.C.P.
Director, Planning & Development Department
Council Approves Residential Buffering Amendments
City Council approved amendments to the City Code of Ordinances and City of Houston Construction and Electrical Codes on Jan. 25 to address the effects that may arise when newly constructed, mid-rise and high-rise structures abut single-family and small scale multi-family residential structures. The amendments were presented to City Council as part of the ongoing work of the Livable Places initiative.
Residential buffering standards establish a buffer distance between all single-family residential or multi-unit residential properties and high-rise or mid-rise structures. (Chapter 42).

Garage screening and lighting standards prevent car headlights in parking garages and garage ceiling lights from shining on adjacent residential properties.

Wall or pole-mounted light fixtures standards prevent wall or pole lights on commercial properties from shining into residential properties or streets. (Electrical Code).
Dumpster screening standards require that commercial developments provide dumpster screening when they are located adjacent to streets or residential properties and include the dumpster location on site plans (Chapter 39).

These changes will apply to all building permit applications for commercial properties starting February 25, 2023.

To learn more visit letstalkhouston.org/livable-places.
City Amends Ordinance to Provide Optional Fee
In Lieu of Sidewalk Construction
City Council voted January 25 to adopt Sidewalk Ordinance amendments that give property owners and developers another option to comply with the City’s existing sidewalk ordinance requirements, while still advancing the City’s goals to create a safe, comfortable, and accessible sidewalk network for all Houstonians. 
 
The amendments establish the option for property owners and developers to opt out of constructing the required sidewalk, and instead pay a Fee in Lieu of Sidewalk Construction for qualifying properties that meet certain criteria such as homes located in neighborhoods without existing sidewalks.
“We recognize that not all parts of our city were built the same way,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “This balances our goals for multi-modal transportation with the needs of pedestrians across the city who want and need sidewalks, and with the desires of property owners whose neighborhoods were designed without sidewalks and would prefer to remain that way.”
These fees will be collected for a Sidewalk Fund, which will be used to construct sidewalks that extend the sidewalk network to key destinations. The funds will be divided in a 70/30 split between building sidewalks in the area the fee was collected in, and a city-wide network of 17 sidewalk service areas based on need. The ordinance amendments will go into effect March 1, 2023.

For full details, visit the Sidewalk Ordinance Amendment Website and read the Sidewalk Ordinance Amendment Frequently Asked Questions.
Vision Zero Houston Participates in Community Pairing Program
Vision Zero Houston is participating in the Federal Highway Administration Vision Zero Community Pairing Program, where U.S. cities learn from each other about how we can advance our safety efforts. Houston is paired with Bellevue, WA. The Vision Zero Community Pairing Program provides a platform for sharing information and noteworthy practices, assessing strategies and actions, and forging beneficial learning relationships among Vision Zero communities. The program also aims to create and foster long-term partnerships to save lives from traffic-related crashes.
Each Vision Zero community pair will have opportunities to virtually meet on a regular basis and visit one another in-person once during the program.

All pairs will participate in quarterly forums to exchange information on topics of mutual interest. 
Map of the Month: TIRZ Interactive Web App
Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZs) are special zones created by City Council to attract new investment in an area. These zones help finance costs of redevelopment and promote growth in areas that would otherwise not attract sufficient market development in a timely manner. Taxes attributable to new improvements (tax increments) are set-aside in a fund to finance public improvements within the boundaries of the zone. Click the image above to explore a TIRZ app created by our Geographic Information Systems team.
Employee Spotlight: Joel Casas 20 Years of Service
Continuing our spotlight on Planning & Development Department employees who are celebrating years of service milestones, this month, we checked in with GIS Analyst Joel Casas.

Q: Why have you chosen to devote 20 years of service to the City of Houston and make the Planning Department my career home?

JC: There is a saying that “Iron sharpens iron.” Therefore, it has always been my desire to share what I learn with my fellow colleagues and to have them learn from me. Also, as I was born and raised in Houston, I have always and continue to take pride in my city’s accomplishments to be an innovative and visionary place for people to live. I also take pride in my department and therefore its always been a motivating factor for me to sharpen my skillset in order to be a “ram in the bush” in availability to my department when they have technical needs.
 
Q: What do you consider to be my accomplishments and contributions to the team over the years?

JC: The countless hours that have been spent meeting deadlines for critical projects have been my contribution to my department as perceptions of success or failure to meet goals reflect
greatly upon my department’s reputation. Therefore, I have always taken project deadlines quite seriously. I’ve also authored processes to improve my workflow and give greater efficiency.
 
 Q: What advice do you have to new employees joining the city and the Planning Department?

JC: My advice to new employees who have joined the department is to stay the course, keep moving forward, technically and academically and look forward to each new day with anticipation with a constant awareness of seeing the need and responding to the task with promptness and great effort.
611 Walker Street, 6th Floor,
Houston, TX 77002 
832-393-6600