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Members of the Denton Planning and Zoning commission discussed adding a residential overlay district to Southeast Denton at an Oct. 8 meeting.
This potential overlay district would be part of the Southeast Denton Area Plan.
A closer look
The proposed residential overlay district area encompasses approximately 422 acres and includes the historic neighborhoods within Southeast Denton, such as Solomon Hill, New Quaker, Freedman Town, Fred Moore School, Lincoln Park and Willow Creek.
The potential residential overlay district would maintain the scale and character of the neighborhoods, according to city documents. This would apply to new construction and substantial expansions to existing homes.
Regulations within this district may include:
How we got here
The discussion of the residential overlay district is part of an ongoing conversation between city officials and neighborhood residents.
After 18 months of discussion and planning, the city adopted the Southeast Denton Area Plan in 2023, Wyatt said. The plan seeks to include community input, address local concerns, promote responsible investment and guide future development.
Wyatt said the plan includes 53 action items to help achieve these goals.
During this process, residents communicated that preservation of the existing neighborhood character is very important to the community, according to city documents.
Diving deeper
Residents have raised concerns about development proposals adjacent to and within Southeast Denton due to the area’s history.
During the 1920s, the city used federal funds to displace residents of a predominantly Black community to Southeast Denton to build city facilities. Nearly 70 homes, dozens of businesses and a community center were either torn down or forcibly removed, city documents state.
What they’re saying
Commissioner Sherri McDade expressed concern about requiring residents to have a porch or stoop.
“If someone doesn’t have [a porch] and they’re remodeling, I think it would be a bit much to require them to add it on there,” McDade said.
Commissioner Clay Riggs said he wondered if these regulations would make it harder for individuals to build homes and stay in the area.
“I know one of the concerns we had is gentrification,” Riggs said. “If we start requiring a lot of these things, are we just making it more expensive to build a home?”
Commissioner Eric Pruett suggested getting more input from community members before making a decision.
What else?
Wyatt said there will be an online survey available at www.discussdenton.com beginning the week of Oct. 13 and other opportunities for residents to give feedback before a council vote on this item.
