Park land acceptance standards.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 42-257
in effectSec. 42-257. - Park land acceptance standards.
(a) The city council reserves the right to accept or reject an offer of dedication, after consideration of the recommendation of the parks director, and to require the payment of fees in lieu of dedication as provided herein in section 42-254 of this Code.
(b) Land dedicated for park and recreational areas shall be of such size, dimensions, topography and general character as is reasonably required by the city for the type of use necessary to meet the requirements of park facilities as identified for that geographic sector in the city's most current Parks Master Plan.
(c) Land proposed to be dedicated for parks generally shall meet the following requirements. The parks director may recommend the acceptance of the dedication of property that does not meet these criteria if the property is adjacent to an existing park or other public space, provides access to a park, or otherwise presents an opportunity to enhance the city parks system consistent with the Parks Master Plan.
(1) Minimum size and configuration standards.
a. Unless determined otherwise by the parks director pursuant to subsection (f) of section 42-252 of this Code, the minimum size of land dedicated for a park in the area within and bounded by Interstate Highway 610 shall be one acre.
b. Unless determined otherwise by the parks director pursuant to subsection (f) of section 42-252 of this Code, the minimum size of land dedicated for a park in the area outside of Interstate Highway 610 shall be two acres.
c. Land dedicated for a park shall constitute a contiguous piece of property of such dimensions that it can physically accommodate the types of improvements associated with the park type in the Parks Master Plan.
(2) Location and access standards.
a. The land shall meet the applicable location requirements of section 42-256 of this Code.
b. The land shall have connectivity to a public street appropriate for the size and use of the park.
(3) Physical characteristics standards.
a. The land shall be vacant and cleared of nonvegetative material and shall contain no conditions that could constitute a violation of chapter 10 of this Code.
b. The land shall not have severe slopes or unusual topography that would not allow the park to be used for its intended purpose without recontouring the property.
(4) Minimum environmental conditions standards. Unless provided otherwise in rules promulgated by the parks director, the land shall be reasonably free of recognized environmental conditions. If land is proposed to be dedicated by subdivision plat, prior to submittal of an application for final subdivision plat approval the applicant shall submit either a phase I environmental assessment that shows no environmental conditions exist on the property or a phase II environmental assessment that shows no remediation is required.
(d) Land in a federally designated floodplain or floodway may be dedicated as park land if the land otherwise meets the acceptance standards for park land of this section and any rules promulgated by the parks director.
(Ord. No. 2013-343, § 3(Exh. A), 4-24-2013)
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_DIV7PAPRPA_S42-257PALAACSTFetched: 10/26/2026