Richardson | June 2026

Government

BY ISABELLA ZEFF

City to consider development regulations

Enhancement areas

Proposed timeline for code adoption

RENNER RD. The Envision Richardson plan identified several enhancement areas targeted for investment and redevelopment. City staff said the areas could be written into the new unified code to facilitate further development.

2026

BRECKINRIDGE BLVD. Phase 0- Consultant selection - May-Sept.

Collins/Arapaho West Spring Valley

Main Street/ Central Expressway

TELECOM PKWY. Phase 1- Diagnostic assessment of existing plans and codes - Oct.-Dec. Phase 2- Assess five special enhancement areas identified in Envision Richardson plan PGBT TOLL

CAMPBELL RD.

2027

Richardson staff presented plans to create a new unified development code in order to facilitate more efficient citywide development at the May 18 City Council meeting. The new code would consolidate various city development codes into one document regulating land use, development and signage. Staff plan to explore consultant options and draft several proj- ect options for updating city codes before council makes a final decision to move forward. “This is important to make things very efficient,” council member Arefin Shamsul said. “If we can bring everything in one place and update [it], that will simplify the [development] process.” The big picture City staff presented initial intentions to overhaul the comprehensive zoning ordinance in February. The ordinance is a set of regulations that tells property owners what they can do with their land and how. It guides development in the city and regulates what can be built where. The comprehensive zoning ordinance has not been significantly updated since its adoption in 1956, director of development services Tina Firgens said. The ordinance is out of date with current market realities and does not support the development Richardson needs, she said, leaving the city to rely on special permits and zoning designations to facilitate development. These have to be individ- ually reviewed and approved by council, which can slow down development and create incon- sistencies throughout the city, Firgens said in the February presentation. A unified code would consolidate the city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance, subdivision and development regulations and sign code into one updated document. “I expect that we would come out of this with an ordinance that aligns with the comprehensive plan and is able to meet the needs of a more modern era,” Firgens said. “This new ordinance would be able to help advances for decades in the future.” Why it matters The unified development code would advance redevelopment and new development citywide,

COLLINS BLVD.

ARAPAHO RD.

Phase 3- Draft new unified development code

2028

GREENVILLE AVE.

BELT LINE RD.

Phase 4- Adopt new unified development code

SPRING VALLEY RD.

2029

BUCKINGHAM RD.

CITY OF RICHARDSON/COMMUNITY IMPACT

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

Firgens said, accomplishing a range of action items in the Envision Richardson plan, the city’s comprehensive plan approved in 2024 that laid out citywide development goals. It could also help to increase affordable housing development, as the zoning in most areas in Richardson does not currently support townhomes, duplexes and other diverse housing types. If the city chose not to pursue the unified devel- opment code, that could slow down development and redevelopment in the city and increase costs to accomplish individual Envision Richardson action items, Firgens said. Firgens estimated that it would take two years and between $900,000 and $1.1 million to develop and adopt the unified development code. “It will be a challenging project, and nonethe- less, it’s important to stay committed to it as we work through those challenges and opportunities related to the code,” Firgens said. The project would be funded through special project reserves over the next two to three budget years, she said, and would not come out of the city’s general fund budget. The city would require a consultant, Firgens said, who could provide expertise on best prac- tices, public engagement and code drafting while allowing city staff to continue work on other development projects. The approach Council members highlighted the importance of

public input throughout the process of develop- ment. The yearlong drafting phase would include public engagement, Firgens said, and public hearings will be required prior to adoption of the new code. Council member Dan Barrios suggested forming a citizens’ advisory committee that could provide input throughout the development process, which he said several other cities implemented in their zoning code updates. Council member Ken Hutchenrider said he would prefer to see broader public engagement around the code development rather than focusing on feedback from a committee of a few citizens. “What I’ve heard from my eight years on council is that the citizens want a lot more transparency,” Hutchenrider said. Also of note The city has identified and rezoned several enhancement areas targeted for redevelopment, including West Spring Valley, Main Street and Central Expressway and the Collins-Arapaho area. Firgens said part of the development process for the unified development code will include an assessment of these areas to confirm council’s future development goals and identify zoning strategies to accomplish further development. The enhancement areas could be written into the new unified development code to ensure that their zoning aligns with the goals for their development.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM