The City of Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission is in the process of developing new single family housing design standards. Recent housing projections indicate that Arlington’s total housing stock will grow by more than 20 percent between now and 2025, and design standards present an opportunity to guide future residential development in the city.

These design standards are intended to ensure a high quality of housing and neighborhoods, increase the useful life of homes, and allow for creative design solutions for single family homes in all market segments. According to Chief Planner John Taylor, it is the hope of the Commission that these design standards will ensure that new homes constructed in Arlington will be of an enduring quality regardless of size or price, and that these standards will provide the developer flexibility in design to create a product that will maintain or improve its value over time.

Among the issues the Commission is currently reviewing are height, bulk, setback, landscaping and masonry coverage requirements. The Commission will host a workshop to gather information from various stakeholder groups within the city before they begin drafting design standards. The workshop is 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 24 in the Council Briefing Room on the third floor of City Hall.

Representatives from City staff, area realtors, the development community and planning sectors are expected to make presentations to the Commission focussing on existing conditions and current trends in single family housing development in Arlington and the region, as well as emerging issues relating to single family housing.

An online survey is available on the City’s website at www.ci.arlington.tx.us/planning. Responses to this survey will assist the Commission in determining what actions should be taken to maintain a high quality of housing in neighborhoods for Arlington residents.

For more information, call Chief Planner John Taylor at 817-459-6663. Individuals planning to attend the April 24 workshop are asked to RSVP by Monday April 22 to David Whitley at 817-459-6668.