During its Feb. 5 meeting, Tomball City Council approved, on first reading, an ordinance that would amend the city’s code of ordinances to create a new zoning district, neighborhood retail.
In a nutshell
The new zoning district, neighborhood retail, would help “create more complete neighborhoods,” Community Development Director Craig Meyers said at the Feb. 5 meeting.
“The neighborhood retail district is meant to be a middle ground between the office district and the general retail district,” Meyers said. “The goal is to encourage uses that serve residential areas.”
According to Meyers’ presentation, under the neighborhood retail district:
- The maximum building height is 40 feet
- There is a prohibition of outdoor sales and storage
- Roof equipment must be screened
- Planting of shrubs is required to screen parking areas
- The width of landscaping along streets is 15 feet
Permitted uses under the neighborhood retail district would include:
- Child day care center
- Barber or beauty salon
- Indoor health club
- Dance, drama or music school
- Pharmacy
What they’re saying
- “The intent is to allow that transition that we’ve so needed between some of these residential and commercial areas,” council member John Ford said.
- “I think this [district] really brings in a need within our city for a category that’s less intensive [than] general retail,” council member Mark Stoll said.
Stay tuned
A second and final reading of the ordinance should take place at the next regular council meeting on Feb. 19. Learn more about Tomball’s zoning by visiting https://tomballtx.gov/374/Zoning.
