CALDWELL, Texas (KRHD) — The City of Caldwell will host a public hearing Nov. 19 to address concerns about a potential new zoning ordinance, which could help the city manage incoming development.
- The ordinance aims to regulate areas for retail, residential, and industrial use, which can help control where developers can move in based on the property's intended-use.
- City officials say the ordinance won't affect current property uses unless the property is re-modeled or someone else buys the property.
- The ordinance could help prevent nuisances, make sure there's enough infrastructure to support the area and help the city plan for future growth.
- The public hearing will be on Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, but if residents can't make the meeting, the City encourages you to visit City Hall ahead of the meeting to address concerns and questions.
Broadcast transcript:
"I mean, there's not a way to development from happening. This is our way to manage it," Forrest Williams said.
Managing development has been two years in the making for the City of Caldwell.
Now, it's considering adding a new zoning ordinance.
So, 15ABC talked to the development service manager Forrest Williams to get some details into what it would mean for our neighbors.
"The zoning is an extra layer of regulation to help manage certain areas," he said.
The ordinance would regulate areas where developers can move in based on the property's intended use like retail, residential or industrial.
"So, the colors of the map represent each of the zoning districts. The lighter the color is usually the lower intensity use and then the darker the color is the higher intensity use," Williams said.
The ordinance could help prevent nuisances and make sure there's enough infrastructure such as roads to support the area, especially as more subdivisions move into the city.
"If we don't have zoning and we don't have any way to manage the growth, then it makes it to where anything to be developed anywhere," he said.
But he tells me this ordinance won't apply to existing residents.
"It doesn't mean that we're taking over their property or we're taking away their property or they're not able to use their property as it is," he said.
Unless, you remodel your property.
Then, you'll have to follow new guidelines to fit the use of that zone.
"Then at that point, they would have to get approval from the city if they wanted to change the use if it didn't fit in that zone," Williams said.
Williams says it's a way to help the city plan for future growth.
"The zoning helps us add an additional tool for the city to kind of better prioritize and plan for future growth," he said.
