Gainesville zoning proposal won't affect homeowners, says city

Mar. 2—The Gainesville online rumor mill has buzzed this week with posts about a proposed zoning update along major thoroughfares, including California Street, U.S. 82, Grand Avenue and some other Farm-to-Market roads within the city's limits.

The language of the ordinance, which is due for its first public airing March 12 before the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, does not apply to residential properties or involve any kind of land grab, according to City Manager Barry Sullivan.

Indeed, the proposal states the changes would apply to commercial and industrial properties, not residential properties:

"... For the purpose of excluding mini storage, recreational vehicle (RV) storage, trailer storage, warehouses, wind turbines, and solar farms from certain highways, principal arterials, and major arterials to encourage that commercial and industrial land will be used to its highest and best use."

Homeowners can — and will continue to be able to — put sheds in their yards, rooms over their garages and park their boats in their driveways if they wish.

"If you have a house, you're allowed to build a garage, you're allowed to build a storage building, you're allowed to build a storage for your RV or your boat or a pole barn or whatever ... that's where a lot of people are having the misconception," Sullivan told the Register this week. "It's not gonna stop you putting solar panels on your roof. It's not gonna stop you from building a storage unit or a garage or something to put your boat or RV in. It's not gonna do that because the use of that property is actually residential."

Property values

In essence, the ordinance would update existing zoning laws to bar the above stated structures from within 1,000 feet of U.S. 82 and Interstate 35, and within 500 feet of California Street (FM 51) and some other Farm-to-Market roads like Grand Avenue and Radio Hill Road.

"That land is the most valuable in the city, and these are some of the least valuable types of developments you can have there," Sullivan explained. "So, by doing this, what we're hoping is that it enhances the look of the city. And these types of services can still be within the city, just not right at the frontages."

An exception is also worked into the ordinance to allow retailers and manufacturers to add warehousing on their lots inside the overlay district, if they should want to do so.

Sullivan elaborated on the long-term thinking with regards to planning, as Gainesville continues to grow along with the rest of North Texas.

"There's better uses ... you need retail and commercial type stuff on that frontage," he said. "They need that frontage, they need that traffic, they need that space. That not only has higher property values, but that develops sales tax (collections) when you get the best use of your land. It means lower taxes throughout the city for a lot of people because you are having the highest best use where people are willing to put bigger money, provide more property tax, provide more sales tax and you're protecting that area."

The ordinance can be read online at www.gainesvilleregister.com and has been mailed out to all property owners within the overlay.