Planning & Zoning - FAQs

1. What is the definition of a home occupation and do I need a permit to have one?

The definition of a home occupation according to the City’s Zoning Ordinance is as follows:

Home Occupation – any occupation or activity carried on principally by the inhabitants of a dwelling which is
clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes,
which does not change the character thereof,
which is conducted entirely within the main building; provided that no trading in merchandise or selling of goods or services is carried out on a regular basis and in connection with which there is no display or merchandise and no mechanical equipment is used, except such as is customary for purely domestic or household purposes and does not create obnoxious noise or other conditions such as odor, increased traffic, smoke or electrical interference.
There is no permit required to have a home occupation; however, if the occupation chosen is not conducive to a residential area and the City receives complaints as a result of the business being run from the home, the City may contact the home owner with questions regarding the type of business being conducted.
Examples of uses not considered home occupations: beauty or barber shop, tea room or restaurant, rest home or clinic, child care center, bed and breakfast facility, or cabinet, metal or auto repair shop or a home business requiring multiple deliveries creating a public safety issue.

2. How do I obtain a map of the City?

The City has the capability to print out street maps approximately 18’ x 24’ in size at a cost of $3.00. Call Community Services 972-899-5091 to order a street map. Click here for a digital copy of the street map.

3. How do I rezone property?

The following is a brief outline of the process required to rezone property:

Submit rezoning application to the Community Services Manager. The application must include description of the property to be rezoned (drawing, survey, metes and bounds), applicable fee, and zoning request (what is the property is currently zoned and what change is being requested).
Staff will review the request and publish the appropriate public hearing notices for Planning and Zoning and City Council (Public hearings are required at both P&Z and Council for zoning change requests).
Ten days prior to the zoning change being sent to P&Z, letters will be sent out to every property owner within 200’ of the subject property.
Planning and Zoning meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month and City Council meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.
The zoning change request is considered first by the Planning and Zoning Commission with a public hearing and a recommendation made to City Council to grant the request, deny the request or grant the request with modifications. If the P&Z feels they do not have enough information to consider the request, they can postpone the item to allow for additional information to be furnished.
The City Council cannot take action on the item until they receive a recommendation from the P&Z. The Council must then hold a public hearing prior to consideration of the item. If the recommendation from the P&Z Commission was to approve, approval of the item requires a majority of Council voting in favor. If the recommendation from the P&Z Commission was to not approve, the item would require a super-majority vote of Council to approve (6 votes). With approval of two reads of the amending ordinance, the zoning change is in effect.

4. What is a site plan and what is the approval process?

A site plan is required when developing a non-residential use. The site plan is a drawing(s) consisting of all the details to be located on the site, such as, existing zoning, location of building(s) and size of structure(s), traffic circulation (both vehicular and pedestrian and fire lanes), parking, ingress/egress, landscape plan, placement of utilities, screening (if required), drainage, and signage. Color elevations of the building and signage are required at submittal along with a sample of materials to be used on the sign and structure.
Approval Process
The site plan, including all of the above, and the applicable fee is submitted to the Community Services Manager to begin the review process.
Staff and the City engineer review the site plan and provide comments back to the developer for revisions - this can be done by scheduling a pre-development conference.
Once the site plan details are in compliance with City ordinances and agreed upon by staff and the developer, staff will take the site plan to Planning and Zoning for consideration.
The Commission may recommend approval as submitted; suggest modifications, or denial prior to forwarding the site plan to Council for consideration.
Once a recommendation is reached by P&Z, the site plan is sent to Council for final approval. The Council may suggest modifications as well.

5. How do I find out how property is zoned and the allowed uses?

Contact Community Services or come by the municipal complex to inquire about zoning and allowable uses. If you know the current zoning, the allowable uses are listed in the City’s Zoning Ordinance, Section 29 , Use Charts. The zoning map will also show the zoning.

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Planning & Zoning - FAQs