PURPOSE OF ZONING DISTRICTS.
Dallas City Code § 51-4.102
in effectSEC. 51-4.102. PURPOSE OF ZONING DISTRICTS.
(a) Residential districts.
(1) R-1 and R-1/2 Single-Family Districts. There exists in certain parts of the city large areas of single-family residential development on estate type lots of one-half acre to one acre or more in area. This development has been supplied with utilities and other public services based upon an estate type density. To conserve the character and value of buildings and building sites existing in these areas and to provide for the gradual expansion of this residential development in accordance with the need and a comprehensive plan for various types of residential districts, the R-1 and R-1/2 districts are provided. These districts are intended to be composed of single-family dwellings together with public, denominational, and private schools, churches, and public park areas to serve the area. The sections designated in the R-1 and R-1/2 districts are limited in area and are not intended to be subject to major alteration by future amendment except at the fringe of the districts where minor adjustments may become appropriate to permit the reasonable development of vacant tracts or gradual transition from other districts.
(2) R-16, R-13, and R-10 Single-Family Districts. Single-family residential development has taken place on intermediate sized lots in portions of the city in recent years. In order to protect and encourage the continued development of intermediate density with single-family residences in appropriate areas of the city, the R-16, R-13, and R-10 districts are provided. In addition to single-family residences, it is intended that churches, public, denominational, and private schools, and public parks necessary to serve and complement the intermediate density development be permitted. The areas placed in the R-16, R-13, or R-10 districts are generally limited in area and are not intended to be subject to major alteration by future amendment except where changed conditions might justify the action or where minor adjustments in the boundary of a district may be appropriate to secure a reasonable development of the land.
(3) R-7.5 Single-Family District. This district comprises a major portion of the existing single-family dwelling development of the city and is considered to be the proper zoning classification for large areas of the undeveloped land remaining in the city appropriate for single-family dwelling use. This district is intended to be composed of single-family dwellings together with public, denominational, and private schools, churches, and public parks essential to create basic neighborhood units. Limited portions of these neighborhood units may consist of denser residential zoning classifications which are shown on the zoning district map or which later may be created by amendments to the map.
(4) R-5 Single-Family District. This classification creates a single-family dwelling district which is appropriate in area requirements of moderate value single-family housing development and which, at the same time, provides a reasonable standard of light, air, and similar living amenities. It is intended that the R-5 classification be added by amendment in specific areas where higher density single-family residence development in shown to be appropriate because of existing development and the adequacy of utilities and where redevelopment of substandard areas at increased single-family density is appropriate.
(5) D Duplex District. Duplex dwellings have long been a recognized form of housing in the city. In order to provide standards which will protect and encourage the various types of duplex dwellings existing in the city, a duplex dwelling district with minimum area requirements is provided.
(6) TH-1, TH-2, TH-3, and TH-4 Townhouse Districts. This classification creates districts that are being recognized as a form of housing in the city, and provide standards which will protect and encourage various types of single-family dwellings in the city. The TH districts are also established in an effort to provide a more dense single-family residential character by providing minimum standards for lot area, yards, lot coverage, and lot frontage.
(7) MF-1 and MF-2 Multiple-Family Districts. These districts are composed mainly of areas containing mixtures of single-family, duplex, and multiple-family dwellings and certain uniformly developed multiple-family dwelling sections. The MF-1 and MF-2 districts are medium density districts and are located in certain areas close into the center of the city and at various outlying locations. The area regulations are designed to protect the residential character and to prevent the overcrowding of the land in the MF-1 and MF-2 districts by providing minimum standards for building spacing, yards, off-street parking, and coverage. All commercial and office uses are prohibited in the MF-1 and MF-2 districts. It is anticipated that additional areas may be designated in the MF-1 or MF-2 district from time to time in the future where the change is appropriate and access and utility services can reasonably accommodate these medium density dwellings.
(8) MF-3 and MF-4 Multiple-Family Districts. There has been constructed in several parts of the city in recent years, a number of multiple story apartment buildings. To provide appropriate standards for this dense form of housing, two specific districts have been provided. The MF-3 district is designed to accommodate high-rise apartment buildings outside the central area where greater open space and higher off-street parking standards are appropriate. Certain limited service uses such as a restaurant or barber or beauty shop are permitted in the MF-3 district when they are totally contained within the building. Provisions are made for yards, building spacing, and a maximum floor area ratio to assure that high-rise buildings located in the MF-3 district are compatible with adjacent lower buildings and to prevent the overcrowding of land. It is anticipated and intended that the MF-3 district will be expanded and some new areas created from time to time. Both MF-3 and MF-4 districts are high density dwelling districts. The MF-4 district is designated and intended to be used in and near the central business area and is not intended to be used in the outlying parts of the city. High densities are permitted in the MF-4 district and combinations of business and apartment uses are also permitted. Specific standards for light, air, and building bulk are prescribed for the district.
(9) MH Manufactured Home District. The manufactured home is recognized as a specific form of housing for which accommodations should be provided. To provide appropriate standards for density, spacing, and use, a separate district is created and designated for the specific purpose of providing at appropriate locations, area for the development of manufactured home parks, courts, or subdivisions. In certain commercial and industrial districts, a manufactured home development may be provided for by amending the zoning district map, where these projects are appropriate by approval of a specific use permit. The standards for commercial manufactured home development for transient occupancy differ from those of a manufactured home subdivision where more or less permanent occupancy is anticipated.
(10) A Agricultural District. There exists in certain fringe areas of the city, land which is presently used for agricultural purposes and to which urban services are not yet available. These lands should appropriately continue to be used for agricultural purposes until needed for urban purposes in conformity with the orderly growth of the city. The uses permitted in the A district are intended to accommodate normal farming, ranching, and gardening activities. It is anticipated that all of the A district area will be changed to other urban zoning categories as the area within the corporate limits of Dallas becomes fully developed. Newly annexed territory will be temporarily zoned as A district until permanent zoning is established.
(b) Nonresidential districts.
(1) O-1 and O-2 Office Districts. The financial, professional, and managerial dominance of Dallas as a regional center has made office use a distinct and separate form of land use. In order to provide a zoning district which would protect and encourage a high standard of office development the office districts are included as separate zoning classifications. The area standards provided in the O-1 and O-2 districts anticipate that office uses will be located in close proximity to apartments and other residential uses. Yards, signs, building bulk, and off-street parking regulations are provided to assure that office uses will be compatible with adjacent residential districts. Where office buildings higher than 36 feet are anticipated or constructed, greater setbacks are required in order to protect the light and air to adjacent properties. Limited retail and service uses related to the operation of an office building such as a tobacco shop, barber shop, or restaurant are permitted in the O-2 district, but only when such uses are contained within the main building and are arranged to serve the building occupants and not the general public.
(2) NO Neighborhood Office Matrix Districts. These districts represent a group of uses that is restricted to office uses which predominantly serve neighborhood or community needs. They are, therefore, compatible with and are intended for location adjacent to single-family, duplex, and townhouse neighborhoods. These districts are designed to preserve the environmental quality of neighborhood areas. Site development regulations include maximum heights consistent with low density residential areas, site coverage, and “overlook” controls above the first story, which minimize residential privacy intrusion.
(3) LO Limited Office Matrix Districts. These districts represent a group of uses that is restricted to office uses which predominantly serve neighborhood or community needs. In addition, certain limited service uses are allowed where they are contained primarily within the building and primarily serve the occupants of the building and not the general public. These districts are designed to be located in the area of low and medium density residential development or area where traffic generation is an issue.
(4) MO Mid-Range Office Matrix Districts. These districts represent a group of uses that is restricted to office and limited service uses, which serve the building occupants. These districts are intended to serve both community and city-wide needs, and should be located adjacent to higher density residential and low and medium density office, retail, commercial, and light industrial districts. In addition to office uses, certain complimentary retail uses are permitted in these districts in order to meet the day-to-day retail needs of area residents and office patrons. A specific use permit is required for most retail uses in these districts.
(5) GO General Office Matrix Districts. These districts represent a group of uses which would accommodate sophisticated office developments and may include certain complementary retail and residential uses as a minor component of such developments. These districts are intended to serve city-wide needs and should be located near higher density zoning districts, especially where the potential trip generation allowed by this group will have a minimal effect on low density communities.
(6) NS Neighborhood Service District. The NS district is a limited retail category intended for use near neighborhood area for the purpose of supplying day-to-day retail needs of the residents such as food, drugs, and personal services. The NS district occurs often at limited corner locations in existing developments and is intended for small service areas in new development plans.
(7) SC Shopping Center District. The SC district provides a uniform set of standards for modern shopping center development including requirements for screening, off-street parking, and building setbacks. Inasmuch as the SC district is found in close proximity to residential development, building setback and screening requirements are included to achieve a compatible relationship between the retail development and the adjacent residential areas which are intended to be served. It is anticipated that from time to time, additional SC districts will be applied to the district map where retail service is required to serve developing residential communities.
(8) GR General Retail District. The GR district is applied to the strip retail areas which, because of the nature of development, are not appropriate for inclusion in the SC district. The uses specified in the GR district include most types of retail activity except for certain open-type displays such as used car lots and heavy machinery sales which are not compatible with the retail shopping function intended in the GR district. It is not anticipated that the strip retail area zoned as GR districts will be subject to any major expansion. It is anticipated that in some situations a future change to a commercial or office classification might be appropriate to permit the transition of strip retail areas which are no longer in demand for retail use to other productive forms of land use.
(9) LC Light Commercial District. Part of the existing strip business development consists of uses related to the automobile, including drive-in or curb service eating places, used car lots, repair garages, amusements, warehouses, and repair and service uses such as custom woodworking shops, upholstery shops, commercial amusements, and plumbing shops. These uses are generally not compatible with retail shopping areas and tend to obstruct and interfere with the shopping function. To accommodate these uses, the LC district is provided. Generally, this district is located along major arteries where strip business development exists.
(10) HC Heavy Commercial District. The sale, service, display, and storage of certain commodities is by its nature not compatible with many other sales and display operations. Building material yards, contractor yards, open storage and repair of heavy machinery and welding or machine shops are examples of such heavy uses. In order to establish areas where these heavy sales, service, display, and storage uses could be located, the HC district is provided.
(11) CA-1 and CA-2 Central Area Districts. These districts are provided to accommodate existing development in the central area of the city, to encourage the most appropriate future use of land, and to prevent the increase of street congestion. The requirements of both districts are similar except for the requirements for apartment development. Both districts require off-street parking and loading although the construction of parking facilities for 50 cars or less is exempted in CA-1. The CA-1 district covers the area within the central freeway loop and a portion of the business development along Jefferson Boulevard. The CA-2 district is found in several areas outside the central expressway loop and in the border areas of the Jefferson Boulevard business section.
(12) I-1, I-2, and I-3 Industrial Districts. Industrial development represents a substantial part of the economic base of Dallas. The rapidly changing variety of industry found in Dallas and the development of modern technology make it appropriate and desirable to provide for standards of industrial performance rather than to attempt to categorize industrial uses by name. Performance standards covering noise, smoke, particulate matter, and other air contaminants, odorous matter, fire and explosive hazard, glare, and vibration are specified for each of the three industrial districts and noise, odor, and glare standards are made applicable to all districts.
(A) The I-1 district permits basically the same uses and has the same performance standards as the I-2 district. The I-1 district area provisions are applicable to the modern industrial district developments. The district is provided to encourage and protect high standards for industrial district development.
(B) The I-1 district requirements include front yard setbacks and building spacing standards not appropriate in the I-2 district. The I-2 district standards are based upon the close-in light industrial development where little or no front yard setback or building space has been provided. In order to protect existing development and to encourage the most appropriate use of land in the future, the I-1 and I-2 districts are provided.
(C) The I-3 district has more liberal performance standards than the two industrial districts, I-1 and I-2, and is considered a heavy industrial district. Most industrial uses are permitted in the I-3 district. The provision of an adequate site area and a technical operation which meets the standards for noise, smoke and contaminants, odor, fire and explosive hazard, glare, and vibration at the bounding property line of the site will enable almost any industrial operation to be located in the I-3 district.
(D) All types of housing development other than for caretakers or watchmen are excluded from the I-3 district, and only apartment development is permitted in the I-1 and I-2 districts. This requirement is intended to protect the industrial land of the city from the adverse effects of unregulated residential encroachment, and to facilitate adequate provision of transportation, schools, parks, and other public requirements, provided that all single-family residential dwellings existing in the I-1 and I-2 districts at the time of the passage of the 1965 ordinance, may be used and alterations, repairs, additions, and accessories thereto may be erected the same as is allowed for a single-family dwelling in a residential district (R-5 or R-7.5) but no new dwellings may be erected therein.
(c) Special purpose districts.
(1) PD Planned Development District. In order to provide flexibility in the planning and development of projects with combinations of uses and of specific physical designs such as office centers, combination apartment and retail centers, shopping centers, medical centers with office and housing elements, special industrial districts, housing developments and other similar developments, a PD district is provided. This district is intended to be applied to the district map as an amendment to the zoning ordinance. Certain maximum and minimum standards are specified for various use categories and certain standards such as for yards, coverage, and building spacing are to be determined by the design. Specific development conditions and development schedules can be enforced with respect to a PD district and failure to adhere to a development schedule can be the basis of removing all or part of a PD district from the zoning district map. The purposes of the PD district are to achieve flexibility and variety in the physical development pattern of the city, to encourage a more efficient use of open space, and to encourage the appropriate use of land. It is intended that cognizance be taken of surrounding property and that proper protection be given to it in locating and approving any PD district.
(2) P Parking District. The provision of off-street parking for motor vehicles in connection with all types of use is essential to the reduction of congestion in the streets and to the encouragement of the most appropriate use of land. Numerous strip retail and commercial areas exist in Dallas which do not provide adequate off-street parking space. The P district provides a zoning classification limited to surface parking use and intended for use behind, across the street from, or adjacent and incidental to apartment, retail, commercial, institutional, office, or industrial uses where the provision of off-street parking is essential to protection of existing development and conducive to the most appropriate use of land. The P district is intended to be applied to the zoning district map by amendment where property ownership, physical arrangement, and proper access make the change appropriate. In many instances, a P district may be less than one acre in area.
(d) Overlay zoning districts.
(1) H Historic Landmark Overlay District. Any zoning district designation appearing on the zoning district map may be followed by the suffix “H” indicating a subdistrict. A historic landmark may be any building, area, land, or district of historical, architectural, archaeological, or cultural importance or value which merits protection, enhancement, and preservation in the interest of the culture, prosperity, education, and welfare of the people. The “H” designation applies to those premises, lots, or tracts designated through procedures set forth in this chapter. Additional uses may be permitted in any specific “H” overlay district. The “H” suffix does not affect the legal use of the property except as provided in the ordinance establishing the overlay district.
(2) ID Institutional Overlay District. Any zoning district appearing on the zoning district map may be followed by the suffix “ID” indicating an institutional overlay district. The purpose of this overlay district is to promote cultural, educational, medical, and other institutions, enhance their benefit to the community, and protect adjacent property.
(3) D and D-1 Liquor Control Overlay Districts. The purpose of the liquor control overlay district is to protect residential neighborhoods by establishing certain areas of the city where uses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages in the city are either prohibited or permitted by specific use permit only. The D overlay district designates an area where uses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages are prohibited. The D-1 overlay district designates an area where uses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages are permitted by specific use permit only. These districts are established pursuant to the powers conferred upon the city under Articles 1011a et seq., Vernon’s Texas Civil Statutes, to designate areas where uses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages may be located.
(4) MD Modified Delta Overlay District. The purpose of this district is to discontinue the application of the delta theory in areas of the city where there is no need to encourage redevelopment and adoptive reuse of existing structures and where continued application of this theory will create traffic congestion and public safety problems.
(5) CP Core Pedestrian Precinct Overlay District. An area in the CA-1 district with requirements for special sidewalk and pedestrian facilities.
(6) SP Secondary Pedestrian Precinct Overlay District. An area in the CA-1 district with requirements for special sidewalk and pedestrian facilities.
(7) Reserved.
(8) NSO Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay District. The purpose of the neighborhood stabilization overlay district is to preserve single-family neighborhoods by imposing neighborhood-specific yard, lot, and space regulations that reflect the existing character of the neighborhood. The neighborhood stabilization overlay district does not prevent construction of new single-family structures or the renovation, remodeling, repair, or expansion of existing single-family structures, but, rather, ensures that new single-family structures are compatible with existing single-family structures.
(9) TC Turtle Creek Environmental Corridor Overlay District. Any zoning district appearing on the zoning map may be followed by the suffix “TC” indicating the Turtle Creek environmental corridor overlay district. The purpose of this overlay district is to protect and preserve the environmentally sensitive Turtle Creek area located along Turtle Creek Parkway, Lee Park, and Reverchon Park from Wycliff Avenue to Maple Avenue. This overlay preserves the open space of those lands directly bordering the Turtle Creek Parkway Corridor through the authorization of decreased minimum setbacks and the transfer of development rights. (Ord. Nos. 16959; 18040; 18849; 19063; 20360; 27404; 28072)
Source: City of Dallas, Dallas City Code and City Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/dallas/latest/dallas_tx/0-0-0-95938Fetched: 10/26/2026