The Terrell Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 19 recommended that the City Council adopt updates to Section 19 (Single-Family Residential SF-6) that create additional options for infill development, including allowing rear carports and a reduced minimum house size for certain infill lots, with the commission selecting 1,300 square feet as the recommended minimum.

Planning staff explained the change responds to City Council’s request to consider smaller home footprints for infill parcels platted before May 2008. Staff described two pathways: new SF-6 development on newly platted lots would retain the existing 2,000-square-foot floor-area requirement, while qualifying infill parcels (platted before May 2008) could choose an alternative standard with a smaller footprint if they meet specified setbacks and parking provisions. Staff said the proposed infill option originally used 1,100 square feet as a placeholder; staff also proposed permitting a rear carport located behind the house with a 10-foot rear setback to increase on-site parking capacity.

"It's giving staff some tools to help the builders and property owners," Planning staff said, describing the intent to make infill construction more flexible while protecting setbacks and the existing neighborhood pattern. Commissioners raised concerns about neighborhood character and the risk that developers could build tightly packed smaller units in older neighborhoods. Commissioner Deborah said she worried the lowest sizes would recreate older "shotgun" houses and that "it just seems like we're going backwards," while other commissioners noted smaller homes could meet a need for elderly or single-person households.

After discussion the commission voted to recommend the SF-6 update to City Council with one substantive change: the commission replaced the staff placeholder of 1,100 square feet with a recommended 1,300-square-foot minimum for qualifying infill homes. The recommendation also preserves the 2,000-square-foot minimum for newly platted SF-6 lots and retains the proposed carport option subject to setbacks and building permits. The commission will forward the recommendation to City Council; staff said the ordinance is scheduled for a council first reading on Jan. 7.