Optional performance standards for a major thoroughfare within the city with a planned right-of-way of 80 feet or less—in general

Houston Code of Ordinances § 42-153

in effect

Sec. 42-153. - Optional performance standards for a major thoroughfare within the city with a planned right-of-way of 80 feet or less—in general Except for along a walkable places street or transit-oriented development street, a building line requirement of 15 feet is authorized for a tract in the city that has frontage on a major thoroughfare with a planned right-of-way of 80 feet or less if the 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, as applicable: [image omitted; see the official code] (a) Uses other than single-family or multi-unit residential, adjacent to a major thoroughfare, may build to a fifteen-foot building line, provided: (1) Any private street or private drive crossing the building line is substantially perpendicular to the adjacent major thoroughfare and the building line; (2) The area within the building line is not used for parking, driveways, or any other auto-related uses such as access to a drive-through window; (3) A clearly defined pedestrian walkway that is separate from any private street or private drive is established providing a connection from the public sidewalk along the major thoroughfare to an entrance to a building or the development; (4) The sidewalk and safety buffer standards of article XXII of chapter 40 of this Code; (5) The height of any building within 15 feet behind the building line is restricted to not more than 75 feet, as measured in accordance with the Building 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; (7) The building line conforms to the visibility triangle required by section 42-161 of this Code at the intersection of a major thoroughfare and any other street; (8) For any property used for nonresidential purposes, the maximum height of any fence, wall, berm, or combination thereof within the building line is 36 inches in height measured from mean grade; (9) For multi-family residential uses, any fence, wall, berm, or combination thereof within the building line that is more than 36 inches high, but less than eight feet high, measured from mean grade is at least two feet from the property line adjacent to the major thoroughfare and the space created thereby is used and maintained for landscape plantings; and (10) 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) A single-family residential lot that takes vehicular access via an alley, flag staff, shared driveway, permanent access easement or courtyard access drive per section 42-194 may build to a fifteen-foot building line, provided; (1) The units along the major thoroughfare front the street with an entry feature per section 42-165; (2) Any flag staff, shared driveway, permanent access easement or courtyard access drive crossing the building line is substantially perpendicular to the adjacent major thoroughfare and the building line; (3) The area within the building line along the major thoroughfare is not used for parking; (4) A decorative non-opaque fence may be provided along the major thoroughfare; (5) All parking is located 20 feet away from the ROW; (6) A development shall not provide gated vehicular access to the flag staff, shared driveway or permanent access easement unless the gate is set back 25 feet or more from the right-of-way of the major thoroughfare; (7) A clearly defined pedestrian walkway is established providing a connection from the public sidewalk along the major thoroughfare to an entrance to the development; and (8) The sidewalk and safety buffer standards of article XXII of chapter 40 are met. [image omitted; see the official code] (c) Multi-unit residential tracts developed in accordance with section 42-237, and taking vehicular access from a public street, through an alley, or a private drive, may build to a fifteen-foot building line, provided: (1) The structures along the major thoroughfare front the street with an entry feature in accordance with section 42-165 (2) Any private drive crossing the building line is substantially perpendicular to the adjacent major thoroughfare and the building line; (3) The area within the building line along the major thoroughfare is not used for parking or any other auto-related uses; (4) Parking is located at the rear or on the side of the property; (5) A clearly defined pedestrian walkway is established providing a connection from the public sidewalk along the major thoroughfare to an entrance to the development; (6) The sidewalk and safety buffer standards of article XXII of chapter 40 are met; and (7) 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. (Ord. No. 2013-343, § 3(Exhs. A, B), 4-24-2013; Ord. No. 2020-684, § 2(Exh. A), 8-5-2020; Ord. No. 2023-801, § 3(Exh. A), 9-27-2023, eff. 11-27-2023)

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_DIV3BULI_SDAGEREBULI_S42-153OPPESTMATHWIPLRI-W80FELENGEFetched: 10/26/2026