Optional performance standards for a major thoroughfare within the city with a planned right-of-way of 80 feet or less—Retail commercial center.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 42-154
in effectSec. 42-154. - Optional performance standards for a major thoroughfare within the city with a planned right-of-way of 80 feet or less—Retail commercial center.
(a) Except for along a walkable places street, transit-oriented development street, or as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a building line requirement of five feet is authorized for a tract in the city used for a retail commercial center with frontage on a major thoroughfare with a planned right-of-way of 80 feet or less if an applicant submits a subdivision plat that includes plat notations that require compliance with the following performance standards or a development plat that demonstrates compliance with each of the following performance standards:
(1) The subdivision plat or development plat incorporates a five-foot area within the building line that the applicant will improve with a sidewalk or landscaping if the sidewalk is provided in the right-of-way;
(2) All off-street parking is provided to the rear or side of any improvements on the property;
(3) If any driveway is provided from the major thoroughfare to the side of any improvements on the property, the driveway shall meet one of the following standards:
a. Not more than one driveway with two bays of parking comprising a maximum of 62 feet in width is placed to the side of any improvements, provided that the combination of parking and driveway does not exceed ⅓ of the total frontage of the retail commercial center; or
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b. Not more than one two-way driveway of not more than 24 feet in width is provided from the major thoroughfare to parking at the rear of the improvements; or
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c. Not more than two one-way driveways of 15 feet each is provided from the major thoroughfare to parking at the rear of the improvements;
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(4) The sidewalk and safety buffer standards of article XXII of chapter 40 of this Code;
(5) The improvement that will be located along the reduced building line contains 90 percent of the gross floor area of all improvements located on the parcel;
(6) Trees that are within 25 feet of the property line adjacent to the major thoroughfare are protected as corridor trees pursuant to article V of chapter 33 of this Code; and
(7) For purposes of section 33-127(b) of this Code, the number of required shrubs shall be equal to the number of required street trees multiplied by five, which required shrubs shall be distributed along the street frontage of the property in the landscape strip.
(b) Except for along a walkable places street, transit-oriented development street, or as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a building line requirement of zero feet is authorized for a tract in the city used for a retail commercial center with frontage on a major thoroughfare with a planned right-of-way of 80 feet or less if an applicant submits a subdivision plat that includes plat notations that require compliance with the following performance standards or a development plat that demonstrates compliance with each of the following performance standards:
(1) The subdivision plat or development plat provides for an arcade or colonnade at least six feet wide along the full face of the retail commercial center parallel to the major thoroughfare;
(2) All off-street parking is to the rear or side of any improvements on the property;
(3) Any driveway from the major thoroughfare to the side of any improvements on the property shall meet one of the following standards:
a. Not more than one driveway with two bays of parking comprising a maximum of 62 feet in width is placed to the side of any improvements, provided that the combination of parking and driveway does not exceed ⅓ of the total frontage of the retail commercial center;
[image omitted; see the official code]
b. Not more than one two-way driveway of not more than 24 feet in width is provided from the major thoroughfare to parking at the rear of the improvements; or
[image omitted; see the official code]
c. Not more than two one-way driveways of 15 feet each is provided from the major thoroughfare to parking at the rear of the improvements;
[image omitted; see the official code]
(4) The sidewalk and safety buffer standards of article XXII of chapter 40 of this Code;
(5) The improvement that will be located along the reduced building line contains 90 percent of the gross floor area of all improvements located on the parcel; and
[image omitted; see the official code]
(6) Trees that are within 25 feet of the property line adjacent to the major thoroughfare are protected as corridor trees pursuant to article V of chapter 33 of this Code.
(c) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to any retail commercial center that is located on a tract that has been created from a larger parcel or reserve, either by subdivision or lease agreement, if the remaining portion of the original tract or reserve is used for nonresidential purposes.
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(Ord. No. 2013-343, § 3(Exhs. A, B), 4-24-2013; Ord. No. 2018-11, § 49, 1-10-2018; Ord. No. 2020-684, § 2(Exh. A), 8-5-2020)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH42SUDEPL_ARTIIIPLST_DIV3BULI_SDAGEREBULI_S42-154OPPESTMATHWIPLRI-W80FELEETCOCEFetched: 10/26/2026