Arlington’s New Webpage Tracks Apartments Approved Under SB 840

Published on September 25, 2026

By the Office of Communication

Residents can now find information on the City’s website about apartment complexes and mixed-use developments in Arlington that have been approved, or are pending approval, under Texas Senate Bill 840.

Visit the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission webpage to view maps, project details and pending applications:

SB 840 Project Tracker webpage

How SB 840 Impacts Land Development in Arlington

Senate Bill 840 went into effect on Sept. 1, 2025. Codified as Chapter 218 of the Texas Local Government Code, the law applies to Texas municipalities with populations exceeding 150,000 located within counties of more than 300,000 residents. This impacts 19 of the state’s largest cities, including Arlington.

Chapter 218 reshapes municipal zoning authority by allowing qualifying multi-family and mixed-use residential developments on properties zoned for office, commercial, retail, or warehouse uses.

Key impacts on Arlington include:

• Limits on Discretionary Approvals: The City cannot require a zoning change, variance, or other discretionary zoning approval prior to permitting qualifying multi-family or mixed-use projects on commercial, retail, office or warehouse properties.
• Administrative Development Plan Review: Applicants must submit a development plan. If the application complies with applicable building codes and land development regulations outlined in Sections 5.12 and 5.13 of Arlington’s Unified Development Code (UDC)—and is not preempted by Chapter 218—the City must grant approval without requiring a discretionary zoning vote.
• Building Conversions: Chapter 218 restricts the City’s ability to regulate the adaptive reuse and conversion of existing office, retail, and warehouse structures into multi-family or mixed-use housing.
• Exemptions: The law includes limited exceptions, such as properties located near airports or heavy industrial zones.

Using the “Subscribe to this page” button at the bottom of the webpage, community members can stay informed about proposed rezoning requests as well as development applications processed under the state mandate.