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PLANNING AND ZONING

Dallas City Charter ch. XV
in effect

Dallas City Charter ch. XV, § 1 COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING.

SEC. 1. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING. (1) CONTENT. The council may adopt, and may from time to time modify, a comprehensive plan setting forth in graphic and textual form, policies to govern the future physical development of the city. Such plan may cover the entire city and all of its functions and services or may consist of a combination of plans governing specific functions and services or specific geographic areas which together cover the entire city and all of its functions and services. (2) ADOPTION. Upon receipt from the city manager of a proposed comprehensive plan or proposed modification of the existing plan, the city council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed comprehensive plan or modification thereof and shall thereafter adopt it by ordinance, or reject the same. (3) EFFECT. The comprehensive plan shall serve as a guide to all future council action concerning land use and development regulations, urban conservation and rehabilitation programs and expenditures for capital improvements. (Renumbered by Amend. of 6-12-73, Prop. No. 43; Amend. of 11-4-14, Prop. No. 9)

Dallas City Charter ch. XV, § 2 URBAN CONSERVATION AND REHABILITATION AND REDEVELOPMENT.

SEC. 2. URBAN CONSERVATION AND REHABILITATION AND REDEVELOPMENT. The council may by ordinance provide for urban redevelopment, rehabilitation and conservation programs for: (1) the alleviation or prevention of slums, obsolescence, blight or other conditions of urban deterioration; and (2) the achievement of the most appropriate use of land. (Renumbered by Amend. of 6-12-73, Prop. No. 43)

Dallas City Charter ch. XV, § 3 ZONING COMMISSION.

SEC. 3. ZONING COMMISSION. The city council shall appoint 15 residents of the City of Dallas who shall constitute the zoning commission of the City of Dallas and shall be the city plan commission as the same is referred to by state statute for the approval of plats and subdivisions. Except for the qualified voter requirement, the members shall possess the same qualifications and be subject to the same disqualifications as provided by the Charter for members of the city council, or general laws of the State of Texas. The mayor shall designate one member as chair, subject to confirmation by the city council. (Renumbered by Amend. of 6-12-73, Prop. No. 43; Amend. of 11-8-05, Prop. No. 13; Amend. of 11-5-24)

Dallas City Charter ch. XV, § 4 DUTIES OF ZONING COMMISSION.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF ZONING COMMISSION. The zoning commission shall: (1) Adopt, subject to approval of the city council, such rules and regulations as they deed best to govern their actions, proceedings and deliberations, including the time and place of meeting. (2) Upon application made, advertise and hold public hearings on zoning or changes in zoning, and make recommendations thereon to the city council. (3) Act as an advisory body to the city council in relation to any changes in the boundaries of the various original districts and any changes in the zoning ordinances and regulations to be enforced therein. Such recommendation shall be made after a public hearing held thereon. (4) Administer provisions of state law regarding the platting and recording of subdivisions and additions, and in connection therewith, to require the owners and developers of land who desire to subdivide, plat or replat land for urban development, to provide for building setback lines, to dedicate streets, alleys, parks, easements or other public places of adequate width and size; to coordinate street layouts and street planning with the city and with other municipalities, and to coordinate the same with the county, state and federally designated highways, as they may deem best in the interest of the general public. In connection with the planning and the platting of property, the zoning commission shall have the power to consider the character of development or land use contemplated by the proposed platting and the zoning of the property, and require off-street parking, streets and alleys of adequate width to be provided for that purpose. (5) Make recommendations to the city manager and the city council on matters affecting the physical development of the city. (6) Advise and make recommendations on the comprehensive plan and the implementation thereof as may be requested by the city manager and the city council. (7) Exercise all other responsibilities as may be provided by law. (Renumbered by Amend. of 6-12-73, Prop. No. 43; Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 9; Amend. of 11-5-24)

Dallas City Charter ch. XV, § 5 DEDICATION OF STREETS, ALLEYS AND PUBLIC PROPERTIES.

SEC. 5. DEDICATION OF STREETS, ALLEYS AND PUBLIC PROPERTIES. The action of the zoning commission in requiring the dedication of streets, alleys and public places shall not amount to an acceptance of said dedication, nor estop the city council to deny the same. Acceptance of all dedications shall be by action of the city council, or when the city council shall have made actual appropriation of the same by entry, use or improvement. (Renumbered by Amend. of 6-12-73, Prop. No. 43)

Dallas City Charter ch. XV, § 6 CITY URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.

SEC. 6. CITY URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. In addition to the zoning commission, the city council may by ordinance provide for an urban development commission. The ordinance creating the same shall state how the body shall be constituted, the qualifications of the members and the duties of the same. (Renumbered by Amend. of 6-12-73, Prop. No. 43)

Dallas City Charter ch. XV, § 8 THOROUGHFARE PLAN.

SEC. 8. THOROUGHFARE PLAN. The city council shall by ordinance adopt a thoroughfare plan. A thoroughfare plan now in existence or hereafter adopted by the city council shall not be changed except by an ordinance duly adopted after a public hearing as herein provided. Prior to any change in a thoroughfare plan, the city council shall hold a public hearing. Written notice of all public hearings before the city council on proposed changes in the thoroughfare plan shall be sent to owners of real property lying within 200 feet of the area of the proposed change, such notice to be given, not less than 10 days before the date set for hearing, to all such owners who have rendered their said property for city taxes as the ownership appears on the last approved city tax roll. Such notice may be served by depositing the same, properly addressed and postage paid, in the United States mail. (Amend. of 1-17-81, Prop. No. 3)
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/0-0-0-50411Fetched: 10/26/2026

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