The Terrell City Council on Tuesday opened a public hearing and lengthy discussion on proposed amendments to the city’s zoning ordinance (Ordinance No. 3080). Staff described changes ranging from a new “Neighborhood Edge” use to expanded Downtown District design standards, mobile food unit rules, alternate exterior-material standards and clarifications for building permits, certificates of occupancy and infill site-plan requirements.

Staff said Planning & Zoning had unanimously recommended the rewrite and that the rewrite consolidates many edits made over time. The proposed changes add a new Neighborhood Edge zone intended to create lower-traffic, architecturally flexible buildings at the interface of commercial corridors and homes; they also add a “downtown town center” design overlay and outline standards for mobile food units, refurbished shipping-container uses, and alternative exterior materials for existing metal buildings.

Council members pressed staff on several topics. One councilwoman pressed for an immediate ordinance to allow smaller single-family homes and smaller lots for infill; staff replied the current SF-6 infill minimum is 1,600 square feet and that the council could ask staff to draft new single-family districts (for example “SF-4” or “SF-5”) as part of future work. Several council members said they wanted more time to review the many redline edits and to workshop thornier items, including masonry requirements and the definitions and thresholds for alternative exterior materials.

Council member Stephanie Holmes Thomas said she wanted time to study the document in detail; others pushed for a workshop to vet outstanding questions. Councilman Phil Robinson expressed interest in rapid passage of thrift-store language but staff and legal counsel said the ordinance is a single package and cannot be split for partial adoption without drafting a separate ordinance. Staff offered to prepare a standalone ordinance for thrift stores to bring back quickly if the council desired.

After extended discussion, Councilmember Donna Renee Anderson moved to postpone Ordinance No. 3080 to a workshop meeting on Jan. 7; Stephanie Holmes Thomas seconded. The motion carried by voice vote of the members present. Staff said it can present a thrift-store–only ordinance for consideration on the next council meeting if council asks.

Staff also outlined next steps for engagement, including an affordable-housing workshop (late January) and potential production of a revised zoning ordinance for council review in January and later.

Quotes used in this article are drawn verbatim from the meeting transcript and attributed to speakers listed below.