Richardson moves to rewrite outdated development rules, speed growth

Richardson is moving to replace its patchwork of development rules with a single unified code that could change where and how homes, shops and signs are approved across the city’s 28 square miles. City staff laid out the plan at the May 18 City Council meeting, saying the rewrite would fold the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision and Development Regulations, and Sign Code into one document.

The push matters because Richardson’s current Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance still governs use, building and area regulations, and the city’s code library labels it the “Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of 1956.” City staff said that old framework has pushed Richardson to rely more often on special permits and separate zoning designations when new projects come forward, a process that can slow redevelopment and produce different outcomes from one case to the next.

The proposed unified development code is meant to do more than tidy up paperwork. City staff said it would support more by-right development under performance standards and align the city with Envision Richardson, the comprehensive plan that launched in spring 2023 and was approved by council on Nov. 11, 2024. That plan covers Richardson’s 28 square miles and gives the city a newer policy framework for redevelopment, growth and housing choices.

For property owners and builders, the biggest shift could be in housing types that the current system does not readily accommodate in most areas. Staff said the rewrite could help open the door to more diverse options such as townhomes and duplexes, which would mark a significant change for neighborhoods used to navigating a case-by-case approval process. The sharpest debates are likely to center on where those homes can go, how much flexibility the city gives developers and whether performance standards provide enough certainty for nearby residents.

City council member Arefin Shamsul said the idea was important for efficiency and would simplify the development process by bringing everything into one place. Development Services Department staff also pointed to the city’s separate GIS tools, including a zoning-change map and a development status map, as evidence of how fragmented the current system has become in practice.

The rewrite is not a quick fix. Staff estimated the work could take about two years and cost between $900,000 and $1.1 million, signaling a long planning effort that will shape how Richardson handles growth well beyond one council cycle. For residents, landlords and neighborhood groups, the next two years will be the window to press for clearer rules before the city locks in a new code that could define redevelopment for decades.