Abutting development standards.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 42-272
in effectSec. 42-272. - Abutting development standards.
(a) The following standards shall apply to a high-rise or mid-rise structure located on an abutting development that is contiguous to or takes access from a public street, except as provided in section 42-271(b). For purposes of this section, a private roadway shall be treated as: (i) a major thoroughfare if it intersects a major thoroughfare; (ii) a collector street if it intersects a collector street and not a major thoroughfare, or (iii) a local street if it does not intersect a major thoroughfare or a collector street.
(1) An abutting development shall provide a buffer area from any side of a property line that abuts lots or tracts in use for or restricted to single-family residential use or multi-unit residential use if the majority of the lots or tracts abutting the shared side property line are in use for or restricted to single family residential or multi-unit residential use, and 60% or more of the length of the shared property line is in use for or restricted to single family residential or multi-unit residential use. No structure or covered parking may be located within the buffer area. The buffer area may be used for vehicular access and surface parking.
a. For an abutting development with a high-rise structure that is required to provide a buffer area, and is contiguous to or takes access from a collector street, the buffer area shall be 30 feet from the property line of the abutting property in use for or restricted to single-family residential or multi-unit residential uses.
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b. For an abutting development with a high-rise structure that is required to provide a buffer area and is contiguous to or takes access from only local streets, the buffer area shall be 40 feet from the property line of the abutting property in use for or restricted to single-family residential or multi-unit residential uses.
c. For an abutting development with a mid-rise residential structure that is required to provide a buffer area and is contiguous to or takes access from a local street only, the buffer area shall be 15 feet from the property line of an abutting property in use for or restricted to single family residential or multi-unit residential uses.
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d. No buffer area is required for buildings less than 65 feet in height.
(2) The buffer area required for high-rise structures shall include a ten-foot landscape buffer from the property line of the abutting development. The landscape buffer shall include:
a. An eight-foot tall solid masonry wall along the property line or an eight-foot tall wooden fence if a utility easement runs along the property line;
b. Grass, shrubs, other vegetation, or non-vegetative permeable cover with no paving or other impervious cover within the landscape buffer;
c. No mechanical equipment; and
d. At least one tree, planted or preserved, for every 20 feet of the length of the side of the property line. The trees shall be arranged throughout the landscape buffer to provide additional screening to adjacent single-family or multi-unit residential uses and avoid damage to existing plant material. Possible arrangements include planting in parallel, serpentine, or broken rows. Each tree shall have a minimum caliper of 1.5 inches, and be a species listed on the street tree list or parking lot tree list issued and revised by the director of parks and recreation pursuant to article V of Chapter 33. Compliance with this subsection is not required where a utility easement runs along, over or on the shared property line.
Compliance with this subsection shall satisfy the requirements of section 33-128 of this Code.
(b) The commission is authorized to grant a variance or special exception to the requirements of this section in accordance with the provisions of sections 42-81, 42-82, and 42-83.
(Ord. No. 2013-343, § 3(Exh. A), 4-24-2013; Ord. No. 2023-64, § 4, 1-25-2023, eff. 2-25-2023)
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_DIV8REBUST_S42-272ABDESTFetched: 10/26/2026