Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan
Growing with a Unified Purpose
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Growing with a Unified Purpose
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Prepared for:
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City of Denton, Texas 401 N. Elm Street Denton, Texas 76201
Prepared by:
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Matrix Design Group 2020 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1140 Phoenix AZ 85004 Telephone: 602.288.8344
March 2022
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Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... A1 Chapter 1 Plan Framework ................................................................................ 1-1 Purpose of the Comprehensive Plan........................................................................... 1-1 Denton: Past and Present .......................................................................................... 1-2 Plan Development Process ........................................................................................ 1-5 Development of the Community Vision Statement .................................................... 1-11 The Denton Community Vision Statement................................................................ 1-11 Comprehensive Plan Themes .................................................................................... 1-16 How To Use This Plan............................................................................................... 1-18
Chapter 2 Land Use ............................................................................................. 2-1 Land Use Overview ................................................................................................... 2-1 Land Use in the Community Vision Statement.......................................................... 2-2
Chapter 3 Fiscal and Economic Vitality........................................................... 3-1 Fiscal and Economic Vitality Overview..................................................................... 3-1 Fiscal and Economic Vitality in the Community Vision Statement............................ 3-2
Chapter 4 Community Character & Urban Design.......................................... 4-1 Community Character and Urban Design Overview .................................................4-1 Community Character and Urban Design in the Community Vision Statement ..........4-2
Chapter 5 Parks, Conservation & Environment............................................... 5-1 Parks, Conservation & Environment Overview ........................................................ 5-1 Parks, Conservation & Environment Overview in the Community Vision Statement ................ 5-2
Mobility Overview ......................................................................................................... 6-1 Mobility in the Community Vision Statement .............................................................. 6-2
Housing and Neighborhoods Overview ....................................................................... 7-1 Housing and Neighborhoods in the Community Vision Statement .............................. 7-2
Community Health, Safety, & Services Overview ....................................................... 8-1 Community Health, Safety, & Services in the Community Vision Statement ............. 8-2
Infrastructure & Utilities Overview .............................................................................. 9-1 Infrastructure & Utilities in the Community Vision Statement ..................................... 9-2
Implementation & Monitoring Overview ..................................................................... 10-1
Figure 1.1 Preferred Growth Concept........................................................................... 1-8 Figure 2.1 Future Land Use Map ................................................................................. 2-25 Figure 2.2 Preferred Land Preservation Plan............................................................... 2-26 Figure 4.1: Focus Areas Concept ................................................................................. 4-8
Table 1.1 Historical Population Growth, 1970-2020 ..................................................... 1-4 Table 1.2 Population and Housing Growth................................................................... 1-7 Table 1.3 Residential Demand by Type ........................................................................ 1-9 Table 1.4 Land Consumption ........................................................................................ 1-9 Table 1.5 Residential Land Uses Demand Per Scenario .............................................. 1-10 Table 1.6 Comprehensive Plan Components ............................................................... 1-18 Table 2.1. Existing Land Use ....................................................................................... 2-4 Table 2.2. Future Land Use Designations.................................................................... 2-18 Table 3.1. City of Denton Employment Profile, County of Jobs and Workers by Industry ............ 3-7 Table 4.1. Urban Design Principles.............................................................................. 4-26 Table 4.2. Mixed-use Development Criteria based on Vision North Texas 2050 ................. 4-30
Table 5.1. Types of Parks and Existing Acreage ................................................................. 5-5 Table 6.1. Relationship Between Thoroughfare Type and Access ........................................ 6-9 Table 8.1. Denton Police Department Activity, 2010-2020 ................................................. 8-11 Table 10.1 Mixed-use Development Potential Land Use Mix Ratios .................................. 10-12
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Table of Contents
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Mayor Gerard Hudspeth Mayor Pro Tem Paul Meltzer Councilmember Deb Armintor Councilmember Brian Beck Councilmember Vicki Byrd Councilmember Jesse Davis Councilmember Alison Maguire
Margie Ellis, Chairperson Jason Cole Donald D. Mcdade Jordan E. Villarreal Eric H. Pruett Ronnie Anderson Tim Smith
Sara Hensley, Interim City Manager David Gaines, Interim Deputy City Manager
Scott McDonald, Development Services Director Tina Firgens, Deputy Director of Development Services Ron Menguita, Principal Planner
Matrix Design Group
The City of Denton would like to recognize and thank all the residents, property owners, community leaders, and other stakeholders for their participation in the Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan update process.
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The Comprehensive Plan sets a course to manage growth, promote reinvestment, and improve quality of life for the next two decades, inspired and motivated by the citizen values and aspirations expressed in the Community Vision Statement. While many of the policies contained herein originated in the 1999 Denton Plan and Denton Plan 2030, the Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan update affirms and updates an optimal pattern of growth identified in a Preferred Growth Concept, based on fiscal, economic, environmental, and quality of life factors. Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan also addresses new challenges and opportunities, including shifting demographics, changing lifestyle and housing preferences, the interface with two major universities, the influence of gas wells, and the opportunity to encourage long-term sustainability by promoting compact, purposeful growth in centers and along corridors.
Since the last Comprehensive Plan adoption, Denton, as well as the entire DFW Metroplex, has continued to experience tremendous growth. Additionally, themes such as sustainability, climate awareness, and Smart Growth have remained as important considerations affecting economic resilience and community health, along with a better understanding of their connection with land use. Denton and the DFW Metroplex will continue to lead the nation in growth in the coming decades, thus underscoring the need to put in place a framework that will ensure that the inevitable growth and change that will occur will strengthen the economy, enhance quality of life and livability, and positively affect the lives of the next generation to make Denton home. The Comprehensive Plan identifies a detailed Vision of what Denton should become by 2040 and proposes policies and actions that can be carried out in a rigorous implementation program to make the Vision a reality.
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The Comprehensive Plan provides a guide for Denton to retain its character, define its identity, improve the quality of life, and enhance the economy. In addition to addressing the opportunities and challenges of the future, the Comprehensive Plan addresses present issues identified by stakeholders and the community. The community would like to retain its best and brightest youth, attract rewarding employment, and embrace growing diversity, all while balancing new development with reinvestment in its urban core and established neighborhoods. The Denton community has not always agreed on priorities, nor has it been unified by a shared Vision or a common sense of direction. The Comprehensive Plan provides a Vision created by the community that will allow Denton to face the future with confidence and optimism. Denton’s future will be profoundly influenced by the degree to which this plan is successful.
To more fully appreciate the significance of the challenge, it is appropriate to begin by considering the intent of the Comprehensive Plan, the steps that led to its development, and how it will be used to achieve Denton’s shared Vision for the future.
The City of Denton is located approximately 40 miles northwest of Dallas, 38 miles northeast of Fort Worth, and 165 miles south of Oklahoma City. It lies on the northern edge of the DFW Metroplex, and is considered the pinnacle of the “Golden Triangle of North Texas” (Dallas and Fort Worth form the other two points). Denton’s location on Interstate 35 and within the DFW Metroplex accounts for much of its prosperity, and it has benefited from regional growth extending outward from Dallas and Fort Worth over the past decades.
Denton was founded in 1857 as the county seat of Denton County, which was established in 1846 when Texas became the twenty-eighth state. Denton’s location was chosen due to its centrality and its access to Hickory Creek and Murphy Spring. Both the county and the city were named for John B. Denton, a preacher and lawyer. Denton’s development began centered on the area surrounding the Downtown Square, and at the time of its incorporation in 1866, totaled 100 acres of land with 361 residents. Growth initially came to Denton based on its role as an agricultural trade center, and later as a result of the arrival of the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881. Denton was a primary north-south connection along the Texas and Pacific Railway, yet because it was not also an east-west connection for the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe lines built in 1887, the city remained focused on light industry, such as mills and cottage industries, rather than attracting manufacturing and wholesale businesses like other industrializing cities in the area. The city continued to grow nonetheless, reaching a population of 2,558 by 1890.
Denton continued to flourish throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, reaching 11,192 residents by 1940. Residential development began west of Downtown, where wealthy merchants built estates in what are now the Oak-Hickory and West Oak Area Historic Districts.
Important commercial areas such as Fry Street emerged and institutions of higher education were established, first with North Texas Normal College (now the University of North Texas) founded in 1890, followed by the Girls’ Industrial College (now Texas Woman’s University) established in 1903. Growth during this era remained centered around Downtown, continuing the grid street system with buildings built to the street and a mix of uses. Denton kept this pattern through the next several decades, with growth extending north-south and east-west along corridors framing long, rectangular blocks. In 1945, the city encompassed 2,051 acres (3.2 square miles), the footprint of which is roughly equivalent to Denton’s urban core.
The 1960s marked the beginning of a substantial boom for Denton. The completion of Interstate 35 connected Denton to Dallas, Fort Worth, and other communities, helping to create a true regional economy, in which Denton captured its share of the region’s growth. While Denton’s agricultural sector remained steady, its manufacturing sector grew enormously, with heavy manufacturing companies like Victor Equipment Company and Peterbilt arriving in the 1970s. The arrival of these major employers brought about a substantial demand for housing for the city’s expanding workforce. Adding to the boom was exponential enrollment growth at Denton’s two universities, along with the opening of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in 1974. Many airline employees and executives who traveled for major companies built homes in the southeastern portion of the city during this time. The opening of the Golden Triangle Shopping Mall in 1980 established Denton as a regional shopping destination, drawing shoppers from surrounding areas and strengthening the tax base.
During this latter growth period, the streets and block pattern began to deviate from the historic grid form. Development east of the railroad in particular started to take on a more suburban form during the 1960s, with single-use developments, corridors oriented to the car, and larger lots and setbacks. The City’s land area more than tripled between 1960 and 1970 (from 5,901 acres to 18,749 acres) and added another 3,000 acres by 1980, reaching a total of 21,991 acres. The City annexed large areas of land away from the Downtown core during this period, taking in newly-developed areas and those anticipated for future growth, precipitated by Interstate 35. This more suburban form of development has continued to the present day, and much of the land brought within the city’s corporate boundary in the late twentieth century remains undeveloped today.
In the late-twentieth century, Denton began experiencing both redevelopment and conservation of its older areas, especially those near the Downtown and the two universities. Fearing the loss of significant historic resources, preservation advocates from Denton’s West Oak Street neighborhood helped establish the city’s Historic Landmark Commission in 1980, leading to the designation of the Denton’s three protected neighborhoods: the Oak-Hickory Historic District, the West Oak Area Historic District, and the Bell Avenue Historic District.
Downtown continues to be the heart of Denton, functioning as the city’s cultural, social, and historic center. Denton continues to take pride in its prominent institutions: the University of North Texas (UNT) and Texas Woman’s University (TWU), North Central Texas College (NCTC), its large employers, its environmental resources, and its distinct character. Due to the variety of factors supporting its growth, the population of Denton has grown to 139,869, as of 2020, and is expected to increase by over 89,000 by 2040. (See Table 1.1: Historical Population Growth). The DFW Metroplex, of which Denton is a part, is the fourth largest and fastest growing population center in the United States with nearly 7.2 million people.
Due to the many factors that will impact Denton in the future, substantial growth is inevitable. Impacts of this growth on the local economy, community character, and livability will be seen through and beyond the Plan horizon. It is the need to anticipate, prepare for, and guide this growth that makes the Comprehensive Plan so crucial. As a framework for sensible development, necessary infrastructure investments, and for purposeful re-investment in established areas of the community, the Comprehensive Plan helps maintain the Denton that is cherished today, while ensuring its livability, functionality, and economic competitiveness in the future.
| Year | CITY OF DENTON | DENTON COUNTY | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | Percent Change | Total Population | Percent Change | |
| 1970 | 39,874 | - | 75,633 | - |
| 1980 | 48,063 | 20.5 | 143,126 | 89.2 |
| 1990 | 66,270 | 37.9 | 273,525 | 91.1 |
| 2000 | 80,537 | 21.5 | 432,976 | 58.3 |
| 2010 | 113,383 | 40.8 | 662,614 | 53.0 |
| 2020 | 139,869 | 23.4 | 906,422 | 36.8 |
Source: U.S Census Bureau.
Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan update process was initiated in early 2021, drafted and reviewed through the year and completed and presented in final draft for review and adoption in early 2022. Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan was developed with significant community involvement. Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan is a refinement of Denton Plan 2030 which ensures the plan remains relevant and useful as Denton continues to grow.
The plan update was prepared during the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly altered the early phases of public engagement to use several forms of online virtual engagements. Nonetheless, online virtual public engagements were highly attended by more than 200 individuals, and over one thousand public comments were received. Initial engagement was focused on confirming the community’s vision for Denton and identifying issues and opportunities that could affect Denton’s growth through 2040. An online virtual workshop took place near the middle of the public engagement process to “deep dive” into four topic areas and ask the community to assess the continued validity of the Comprehensive Plan’s goals and policies which support those topic areas. Following the workshop, an in-person open house was held to validate the information received in the community meetings and workshop and through online engagement. The open house was a joint-purpose community meeting to share the drafts of the Mobility Plan update and Parks, Recreation, and Trails Plan Master Plan update.
Community meetings were held on the following dates:
The TAC met regularly through the initial process and was composed of more than twenty City staff who provided guidance and technical expertise as the update was prepared. In particular, the TAC analyzed the existing plan goals, policies, and actions and provided direction as to whether the goals should be retained, revised, or removed. The TAC also reviewed drafts of the future land use map and provided direction to refine the plan to support Denton’s future growth and implement the Preferred Growth Concept.
Online Engagement
A project website was used as a clearinghouse for meeting notices, fact sheets, and other project materials for the duration of the project. Residents were able to complete questionnaires to describe their vision for Denton and provide insight into what was important for the community to address through the year 2040. An interactive issues and opportunities map, IDPlaces, was also available for residents to provide location-specific comments, which helped guide the development of the plan.
The following are examples of some of the comments we heard through IDPlaces:
Through the engagement process it became clear that the community's vision for Denton remains aligned with the comprehensive vision established in the previous update.
Through the project, the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council were engaged to report on progress of the plan to date and to receive direction on future engagement and plan development. The Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan update was adopted by ordinance by City Council following a public hearing, and a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Updated Growth Projections As part of the Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan update, future population growth, housing demand, and land consumption were analyzed and updated. This updated data continues to support and integrates with the conclusions of extensive public engagement that took place in the update process. Additionally, public comment, staff guidance, and stakeholder feedback gathered affirmed the community's desire to retain the preferred growth concept adopted as part of the previous update (Figure 1.1). The preferred growth and future land use maps are coordinated to support compact, contiguous development and discourage community spread. No changes were made to the preferred growth concept; therefore, the established community vision is maintained to 2040.
Denton is forecasted to grow by an additional 89,323 residents by 2040 to 229,192. Denton continues to have a higher proportion of single-person households than Denton County and Texas as a whole. Denton also continues to have a significant young population due to the universities. According to the 2020 Census, the 18-to 24 age cohort continues to comprise nearly one quarter of the city's population. This population profile suggests that housing choices which cater to young, single populations are still in demand and more non-single family housing options should be provided. This is consistent with the findings in the 2021 Affordable Housing Needs & Market Value Analysis for the City of Denton.
The following tables (Tables 1.2-1.5) Illustrate the population growth and housing demand forecasted through 2040 and the forecasted land consumption which could be expected under the different growth scenarios.
Table 1.2 Population and Housing Growth
| Population | Housing Growth |
|---|---|
| 2020 Population (1) | 139,869 |
| 2020 Household Size (2) | 2.41 |
| 2020 Total Housing Units (3) | 58,085 |
| 2040 Population Projection (4) | 229,192 |
| 2020 – 2040 Population Change (5) | 89,323 |
| 2040 Housing Demand (6) | 37,094 |
| Total Projected 2040 Housing Units (7) | 95,179 |
Source: (1) 2020 US Census, (2) 2020 Population/2020 Total Housing Units, (3) 2020 US Census – Total Housing Units, (4) 2021 City of Denton estimate, (5) 2040 Population Projection – 2020 Population, (6) 2020 – 2040 Population Change/Household Size, (7) 2040 Housing Demand + 2019 Housing Units.
FIGURE 1.2 Preferred Growth Concept
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| Low-Density Primarily Residential | Moderate-Density Mixed Use (incl. Residential, Commercial/Retail, and Jobs) | High-Density Mixed Use (incl. Residential, Commercial/Retail, and Jobs) | Commercial/Retail Primarily Commercial/Retail and Office Jobs | Employment Primarily Jobs | |
| Single-Family, Limited Commercial | Townhomes, Apartments, Moderate Mixed-Use | Apartments above Commercial, Mid-Rise Office, High Mixed-Use | Office, Town Centers, Limited Mixed-Use | Office, Job Centers, Industrial, Limited Residential |
Table 1.3 Residential Demand by Type
| 2020 Units (1) | % of 2019 Units (2) | Existing Dev. Residential Area (Ac) (3) | Existing Density (4) | Acres Per Unit (5) | 2040 New Units (6) | New Residential Area (Ac) (7) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Unit Detached (Residential Single-Family) | 31,017 | 53.4% | 15,204 | 2.04 | 0.49 | 19,808 | 12,137 |
| 1 Unit Attached, 2-4 Units, Other (Residential Other) | 9,468 | 16.3% | 1,667 | 5.68 | 0.18 | 6,046 | 1,331 |
| 5+ Units (Residential Multi-Family) | 17,600 | 30.3% | 1,152 | 15.28 | 0.07 | 11,239 | 920 |
| Total | 58,085 | - | 18,023 | - | - | 37,094 | 14,387 |
Source: (1) 2020 Total Housing units – 2019 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimates, (2) 2019 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimates, (3) City of Denton GIS, (4) 2020 Units/Existing Dev. Residential Acres, (5) 2040 Population Projection – 2020 Population, (6) 2040 Population Change/Household Size, (7) Acres Per Unit x New Units + 25% of Land Area for Roads and Infrastructure.
Table 1.4 Land Consumption
| Total Acreage (1) | 85,696 |
| Dev. Residential Area (Ac) (2) | 18,023 |
| 2020 Total Housing Units (3) | 58,085 |
| Average Acres Per Unit (4) | 0.31 |
| New Projected DUs (5) | 15,405 |
| New Residential Area (Ac) (6) | 5,975 |
| New Non-Residential (Ac) (7) | 4,123 |
Source: (1) Total Municipal Incorporated Acreage, (2) Existing Residential Acres, (3) 2020 US Census, (4) Average Acres Per Unit (Developed Residential Area/2020 Total Units), (5) Projected New Dwelling Units (2020-2040 Population Change/Household Size, (6) New Residential Area (Average Acres Per Unit x New Dwelling Units) + 25% of Land Area for Roads and Infrastructure, (7) New Non-Residential Acreage Estimated at 69 Percent of New Residential Area.
Table 1.5 Residential Land Uses Demand Per Scenario
| Existing Density | Growth Trend | Centers & Corridors Alternatives* | Compact Alternative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units per Acre | Acres per Unit | 2040 New Units | % of Total | |
| Single-Family (Total) | 2.04 | 0.49 | 19,808 | 53.4% |
| Other Residential, (1 unit attached, 2-4 units) | 5.68 | 0.18 | 6,046 | 16.3% |
| Multi-Family (5+ units) | 15.28 | 0.07 | 11,239 | 30.3% |
| Multi-Family High Density | 30.00 | 0.03 | - | 0.0% |
| Total Units | - | 37,094 | 100.0% | |
| Total Acres |
The Community Vision Statement is an expression of the community's collective values and aspirations and a description of what the community wants to become in the future, answering the question "What do we want Denton to be in 2040?" As the "final destination" for the Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan update, the Community Vision Statement was reviewed and affirmed in the planning process in order to provide the central framework for guiding the development of policies and strategies.
The Community Vision Statement is organized around four Strategic Directions and is based on clear areas of citizen consensus. In each of the Elements of the Comprehensive Plan, the phrases of the Vision Statement that specifically impact the policies of that Element are restated in the introduction. It is important to note that throughout the Comprehensive Plan, each of the goals and policies have its foundation in the Community Vision Statement, and by representation, the voice of the community.
Building on the foundation of the 1999 Comprehensive Plan and the Denton Plan 2030 update, our Vision of Denton in the year 2040 is one in which we are recognized as a vibrant community of choice. Denton is characterized by its two growing state universities, its friendly, small-town character coupled with its big-city dynamism, its commitment to sustainability, and its culture of innovation, creativity, and authenticity. Our exceptional livability, the diversity of choices available to our people in employment, lifestyle, and neighborhood settings; and our North Texas values and culture define what Denton is and what we have to offer. We have realized our vision by respecting and building on our heritage, leveraging our assets, and making wise choices in guiding sound growth and investment, while balancing priorities for our four Strategic Directions:
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facilitate their expansion, and leverage their presence by accommodating their suppliers, supporting businesses, and workers.
edges and where the non-academic community benefits from the vast educational and cultural resources in close proximity.
In our rural fringe areas of the city and the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) we see...
The following section summarizes the methodology that was used to develop the preferred growth concept during the previous update. During the comprehensive plan update process the community reiterated their preference to continue to use the Compact Scenario. The base growth assumptions and fiscal analysis that were established for Denton Plan 2030 continue to be relevant as Denton grows through 2040.
A key element of the existing conditions and trends phase was the development of the Growth Trend Scenario, a conceptual representation of the consequences of continuing down the path of “business as usual.” Using baseline population projections, the model was prepared to depict what the city could look like at present, in terms of development, if the City and community does not change course. The Growth Trend Scenario illustrated how and where growth would likely occur in the absence of new directions from a Comprehensive Plan update and its respective implementation. The purpose of the Growth Trend Scenario was to illustrate the need for intervention and make the case for the new directions embraced in Comprehensive Plan.
Using input from public outreach efforts, conceptual approaches were developed to illustrate land use and development that reflected the values expressed in the Community Vision Statement with more compact patterns of growth. These alternatives were meant to contrast with the Growth Trend Scenario. The city staff and consultants worked collaboratively to create three distinct scenarios: Centers, Corridors, and Compact, which were reviewed and approved by a committee. These scenarios were developed to conceptually illustrate three discernible options that could reshape future patterns of development and investment.
Land uses were grouped to show a range of density and “land use mixing” (meaning that as density increases, so does the amount of mixed use development) and to illustrate a range of potential uses. As an example, low-density residential areas could include single-family residential
in addition to schools and parks. Similarly, commercial areas could include a range of retail types, offices, and employment locations. Land uses were illustrated generally so that the overall development footprint and intended patterns of development could be easily understood and distinguished.
The Preferred Growth Concept was developed to present a conceptual vision for the form, character, and general location of development for Denton that reflected the input and expressed preferences of the community. The general location of new development and areas for intensification was the basis for the development of the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). The Preferred Growth Concept was created by combining the most important aspects of each of the scenarios, development priorities and community character considerations that received the highest number of votes.
The Compact Scenario received the highest number of votes. As a result, this scenario provided a starting point for the development of the Preferred Growth Concept, incorporating elements of the Centers and Corridors Scenarios which were close behind in the public voting. The lowest voting for the Growth Trend Scenario clearly indicated a preference for more compact and purposeful pattern of growth clustered around distinct locations.
The Preferred Growth Concept also reflected priorities for development including increased walkability and trails, more mixed use, and jobs close to home and accessible by walking and transit. As a result, the Preferred Growth Concept encourages a shift towards more mixed-use development, bringing together compatible residential, commercial, office, institutional, or other uses for increased pedestrian activity, reduced car trips, and expanded housing choices.
Community Character preferences further refined the Preferred Growth Concept, including in order of priority: placemaking and urban vitality, multi-modal access, green infrastructure, and conservation. This underscores the importance of an appreciation for areas for community gathering to be distributed throughout Denton, a diversity of building types, and a sensitivity to the environment. Locations of existing and potential areas of urban vitality also help to refine the location and character of potential development areas illustrated within the Preferred Growth Concept as well as potential areas for multi-modal access, green infrastructure network, and conservation. As an overarching framework for development, the Preferred Growth Concept serves as the basis for the FLUM that is central to the Comprehensive Plan.
The formation of the Preferred Growth Concept was additionally informed by a Fiscal Impact Analysis (FIA) that was conducted concurrently with the scenario development process. The intent of the FIA is to guide policy decisions regarding levels of service and revenue enhancements by examining the costs to the city associated with the provision of public services and facilities to serve new development. The FIA assessed all direct costs to the General Fund, General Debt
Service Fund, Recreation Fund, and Street Improvements Fund associated with the new development defined through growth scenarios. Only revenues in these Funds increase due to growth. The FIA analyzed the potential fiscal impacts of the projected housing units, population, nonresidential building area, and jobs added during the plan horizon period based on their variation by type and location among the scenarios. The variations yielded differences in the costs necessary to provide service and facilities to new development at maintained levels of service. In general, the more compact the development, the less the costs of extending facilities and service coverage.
Based on preliminary review of the FIA, order of magnitude costs were shared with the community at a public community meeting, corresponding to each scenario, providing additional information for scenario evaluation. The fiscal impact findings helped determine the scenario(s) that were most fiscally responsible, which served as an additional means of defining and directing the location of development and the Preferred Growth Concept. Following the identification of land uses according to the Preferred Growth Concept and the creation of the FLUM, the locations of these land uses and associated numerical values were incorporated into the final FIA, resulting in a picture of the City’s fiscal profile for the plan horizon. Recommendations related to the major conclusions of the FIA listed below are included in the Fiscal and Economic Vitality Element of the Comprehensive Plan.
The Preferred Growth Concept yielded a cumulative net surplus to the City, when comparing available resources to projected costs over the plan horizon. This takes into consideration operating revenues and costs as well as capital revenues and costs and balances the results. Over the plan horizon, dedicated capital revenue generated by new development is not sufficient to cover the necessary capital expansions to maintain levels of service for new development, as the only dedicated revenue for capital needs in Denton is a portion of the property tax. Regardless of the deficit for capital needs, the cumulative fiscal impact of the Preferred Growth Concept is a surplus.
The Comprehensive Plan contains eight Elements that include the goals, policies, and actions that will implement the visions of the Denton Community.
Within the Plan Elements are themes that should not be “siloed” into individual Elements, because they impact a variety of policies and actions throughout the Comprehensive Plan. These themes represent top priorities of the Denton community as well as City of Denton decision makers. Several of these occur as individual Elements but are themes because they touch on topics throughout all Elements. Themes include: Sustainability, Community Health, Mobility, and Community Character.
Sustainability is a topic that touches many of the policy elements throughout Comprehensive Plan. For that reason, it is not a stand-alone element, but rather a "theme." Sustainability, by definition, is addressed in three "prongs": social, environmental, and economic. As such, sustainability is addressed within elements focused on these topics, as well as alongside Mobility, Land Use, and Community Character. Sustainability is important to the Denton community and government, and the City proudly updated and adopted its sustainability plan—"Simply Sustainable, A Framework for Denton's Future"—in 2020.
Similar to sustainability, policies and actions influencing community health occur throughout Comprehensive Plan. For that reason, it is also a "theme." Community Health includes policies that contribute to the physical health of the people of Denton, including access to healthy foods, recreation, and pedestrian and bicycle mobility and land use patterns that promote physical activity. Many communities are comprehensively addressing community health in the development of planning policy. Community health is addressed throughout the Plan, particularly in Mobility, Land Use, and in Community Health and Safety.
Mobility is a very important subject for Denton as it looks forward to 2040. While there is a dedicated element for Mobility, which contains goals and policies specific to streets, the bicycle and pedestrian network, and transit—among others—mobility is important to address throughout the Plan. For that reason, it is also a "theme." Mobility considerations and modal choice affects land use, community character, community health, and fiscal and economic vitality as it relates to the physical development of the city, physical activity, and the network to build a functional and healthy economy.
Denton is a city built on character and the preservation of that character, in addition to creating new complementary development is central to the community's goals as it moves forward. The Community Character and Urban Design element addresses specific goals and policies related to community character, yet the preservation, celebration, and creation character of Denton is an underlying theme in all of the Plan elements. Through the successful implementation of the Plan, Denton's future will be realized as a community known for its charm and unique sense of place.
The Comprehensive Plan is organized to present the background information and goals, policies, and actions of the Plan Elements, in a streamlined, strategic, and user-friendly fashion. The Elements are grouped to contain categories of goals, policies, and actions organized by similar topics and according to the departments that will be responsible for their implementation. The Implementation and Monitoring Element brings all the Elements together to ensure recommended actions are followed.
Table 1.6 illustrates the components of the comprehensive plan and how the goals, polices, and actions relate to one another. There are numerous additional plans and studies called for throughout the actions of the Elements, including updates to many existing plans, studies, and manuals. While many of these themselves are large plans, they all fall under the framework, and guidance, of the Comprehensive Plan, which acts as the voice of the community and the coordinated path forward until 2040. Each of these plans will look towards the comprehensive plans for policy direction and concepts.
Table 1.6 Comprehensive Plan Components
| Goals | Policies | Actions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | Sets a general direction; an ideal future; long-range and comprehensive in nature; and used to describe a desired result or outcome. | A specific statement that guides decision-makers; a commitment to a particular course of action; describe context and rationale of desired outcome, and are more specific than goals. | Actions or procedures that carry out a policy. Specific step to actually achieve the goals and policies identified in the comprehensive plan. |
| Example | Goal LU-5: Grow with Character: Promote Development which Enhances Community Character and Functionality. | 2.16 Revise development regulations and development review processes to facilitate and support desired forms of development and improved standards for urban design and place-making. | 2.16.1 Adopt citywide design and development standards and guidelines specific to individual land uses and thoroughfares to improve development quality and functionality. |
The Comprehensive Plan is comprised of the following Elements:
Plan Framework includes a summary of Denton’s history and where the City is today. It then describes the purpose and process used to develop the Comprehensive Plan. This Element also includes the Community Vision Statement and an overview of the steps involved in analyzing the conditions that would drive the goals, policies and actions contained in the Comprehensive Plan.
Land Use Element includes goals and policies necessary to ensure that the City will direct growth according to sound principles and to ensure that the balance of land uses matches the City’s needs for the future.
Fiscal and Economic Vitality Element contains goals and policies related to the economic strength of the city and principles for growing in a fiscally healthy manner.
Community Character and Urban Design Element includes goals and policies for maintaining the unique character of Denton and building upon its distinguishing characteristics. This element includes policies for placemaking, arts and culture, and historic preservation.
Parks, Conservation, and Environment Element includes the policy framework for parks and open space, as well as policies to ensure protection of Denton’s unique environmental and natural resources.
Mobility Element includes goals and policies for vehicular circulation and for the pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation network. This element will serve as a policy framework for coordinating a comprehensive mobility network aligned with future land use and community character.
Housing and Neighborhoods Element provides the basis for ensuring housing options for all of Denton’s population in safe and livable neighborhoods, complete adequate community facilities to serve them. This element will ensure the conservation of Denton present neighborhoods, as well as the development of well-designed neighborhoods in the future.
Community Health, Safety, and Services Element includes goals and policies for maintaining a safe and secure environment for Denton residents as well as an overall healthy population. Goals and policies focus on environmental justice, social services programming, community health, resiliency, and hazard mitigation, as well as emergency services.
Infrastructure and Utilities Element ensures the provision of adequate infrastructure and facilities that will complement the future growth of Denton. This includes water, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste, and electric. In addition to baseline service, strategies for sustainable practices such as sustainable energy and green infrastructure are included in this Element.
Implementation and Monitoring Element sets the framework to ensure that policies and actions are applied in future development decisions and that progress in the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan is monitored over the course of the plan timeline. This Element sets guidance and benchmarks for measuring progress, protocols for amendments, internal city governance practices, and describes how the Comprehensive Plan interacts with other city, state, and county regulations.
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Overall, the community's vision and goals for land use in the City have remained consistent since the Denton 2030 Comprehensive Plan. In the Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan update, a greater emphasis is placed on growth management within the incorporated boundaries of the City and the rural and agricultural for areas within the City's Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (EJT) strategically to encourage infill development. Policies for more retail and mixed-use development to increase pedestrian-friendly scale and activities are strengthened in the Plan. Lastly, the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) and corresponding future land use designation descriptions have been updated and are listed at the end of this chapter. The FLUM extends to areas within the City's full ETJ boundary. While the City doesn't have complete review authority for development within the ETJ, establishing a future land use policy helps communicate the long-term land use and preservation vision and intent of the City to property owners and developers. This becomes a starting point for discussion for developments which may be pursuing development agreements. Historically, Denton's land use pattern has evolved based on incremental growth and annexation, occurring largely as greenfield development, that is, the development of formerly agricultural lands and open space. Development has been driven primarily by market forces, with zoning and the construction of roads and infrastructure responding to, rather than proactively influencing growth. The availability of greenfield land, coupled with the demand for new large single-family detached dwelling residential subdivisions, has facilitated development that outwardly expanded the suburban fringe at a relatively low density and intensity. This trend has resulted in a land use pattern that has tended to further extend distances between where people live, work and shop, resulting in a rate of land consumption and “sprawl” which is faster than the underlying growth of the population, producing an unsustainable trend that is costly for the city and taxpayers alike. Meanwhile, considerably more vacant land exists within the present city limits, both un-platted tracts and in already planned and approved Master Planned Communities (MPCs), than can be absorbed by the city's projected population growth over the next two decades and beyond. The consequences of this “sprawl” trend has been experienced in longer auto trip lengths, greater levels of congestion, strained environmental and fiscal resources, and challenges for public services and facilities to keep up with the demands of this rapidly enlarging development footprint. By 2040, additional
annexations are not necessary to accommodate the anticipated growth in the city, and in fact future annexation petitions at the periphery of the city should be carefully evaluated to ensure the city's ability to provide infrastructure and public services. At the same time that this suburban expansion has driven public and private investment into outlying areas, some more established, in-town neighborhoods and commercial areas have suffered dis-investment and decline and are in need of renewal. In response to public input, it is the intention of the Land Use Element to reverse these trends by encouraging thoughtful and resourceful development and investment where it is needed for a fully functional and livable city. This means supporting more compact and interconnected land use patterns; placing housing, jobs and shopping in closer proximity, and providing greater opportunity for mixed-use and development designed for walkability – both for improved mobility, as well as for community health and sustainability.
In our rural fringe areas of the city and the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) we see...
While the Land Use Element does not seek to impede approved developments in outlying areas, it does support rational, staged development in the fringe and discourages approval of additional large scale planned developments until currently approved developments approach build-out.
The Land Use Element has been developed to implement the long-range vision of the community in the Comprehensive Plan. The goals, policies, and actions of the Land Use Element focus on the use of land and future development within the City of Denton.
The basis for the Land Use Element is the Future Land Use Map (FLUM). Through guidance from the Preferred Growth Concept (Figure 1.1), and the Preferred Land Preservation Plan (Figure 4.2) the FLUM illustrates a land use pattern that clusters development around distinct locations (i.e. centers or corridors) in a compact pattern, with mixed-use development, walkable pedestrian networks, jobs, and shopping located closer to homes, and preserved open spaces in the peripheries of the city.
Overall the city’s distribution of land uses can be thought of in three broad categories: where people live (residential uses), where people work and shop (nonresidential uses), and land which is undeveloped. Residential is the largest developed land use category, covering 12,036 acres, or about 19 percent of the city’s land area. Of this, approximately 83 percent is single-family residential development, along with approximately five percent consisting of multi-family structures and another 12 percent consisting of other residential structures (including townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, condominiums, mobile homes, and assisted living/nursing care facilities). Almost 10 percent, consists of agricultural uses of the city’s land area. Parks, including recreational areas and protected open space, make up approximately three percent of the city’s land area.
Four percent of the city’s land area is devoted to commercial uses, which include retail, offices, restaurants, gas stations, hotels, etc. A significant amount of the city’s commercial uses are located close to Downtown and along major corridors such as U.S. 380 and U.S. 377 and Interstates 35, 35E, and 35W. Industrial uses constitute almost 12 percent of the city’s land uses. The majority of industrial uses are located west of I-35 and I-35W, near Denton Enterprise Airport.
Government uses, including local and other administrative facilities, occupy just over two percent of the city’s area. Religious uses, including buildings used for regular assembly for religious worship, cover a very small portion (less than one percent) of the city’s land area. Finally, 36 percent of the city’s land area was identified as “Undeveloped”, that is land with no structures that does not have an associated use and is generally not protected from development. Existing land uses are listed in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1. Existing Land Uses
| Land Use | Acreage | Percent of Total City |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 6,018.02 | 9.58% |
| Cemeteries | 121.46 | 0.19% |
| Commercial | 2,625.81 | 4.18% |
| Government | 447.55 | 0.71% |
| Industrial | 8,769.09 | 13.96% |
| Infrastructure | 1,615.76 | 2.57% |
| Institutional | 1,690.75 | 2.69% |
| Parks and Open Space | 2,043.29 | 3.25% |
| Religious | 354.91 | 0.57% |
| Residential – Single Family | 10,027.22 | 15.96% |
| Residential – Multi Family | 702.47 | 1.12% |
| Residential - Other | 1,306.30 | 2.08% |
| Undeveloped | 21,938.54 | 34.93% |
| Right of Way | 5,149.98 | 8.20% |
| Total | 62,811.15 | 100% |
Source: City of Denton
Immediately apparent from the existing land use map is a clearly defined center of the city, with major highways radiating in all directions. Downtown is surrounded by established neighborhoods with an historic urban street grid, and the University of North Texas (UNT) and Texas Woman’s University (TWU) campuses, other institutions, and some of the city’s original industrial areas.
Beyond this urban core area, radiating corridors are less "mixed" in nature with low-density, single-family residential emerging as the predominant pattern, surrounding a suburban hierarchy of local streets and collectors rather than the street grid in the urban center. The location of commercial uses has been primarily influenced by highway access and interchanges, with commercial uses lining older highway corridors such as University Drive and Loop 288, and clustered in major concentrations such as the I-35E and I-35W. A similar pattern can be seen with industrial uses. Original industrial areas are clustered near the rail corridors east of Downtown, while newer, larger industrial areas are located primarily west of I-35 near the airport, reflecting changes in industrial transportation modes.
In considering the land use pattern and distribution of the city’s existing land use, it is appropriate to consider its capacity to accommodate future growth and to compare it to the aspirations expressed for the city’s growth. As noted in Table 2.1 the city has nearly 27,000 acres of "growing room," comprised of land categorized as Agriculture or Undeveloped. As shown in Table 1.4, the city’s projected population growth through the 2040 plan horizon could require the development of approximately 25,000 acres of new residential and non-residential land uses. Based on this information, there is adequate land within the City of Denton to accommodate the forecast growth and land consumption through 2040.
GOAL LU-1: Grow Compactly: Achieve sound, sustainable growth in compact development patterns with balanced land uses planned in coordination with transportation and infrastructure systems.
The single most important component of the Land Use Element is the FLUM (Figure 2.2). By depicting where broad categories of land use should occur, the FLUM serves as a guide in making development decisions. Maintaining the currency of existing land use is necessary in order to track land use trends which may influence policies for future land use. Principal among the new directions for land use as depicted on the FLUM and described in the future land use designations that follow, is the introduction of an array of new mixed-use districts to promote flexibility in encouraging development and redevelopment at the centers and corridors targeted for growth. These include Downtown Denton, the compatibility areas surrounding the UNT and TWU campuses, and Regional Mixed Use, Community Mixed Use, Neighborhood Mixed Use, and Business Center future land use designations.
2.1.1 Continue using GIS and other databases to report parcel level data, track land use changes associated with development and redevelopment and revise the exiting land use map annually.
2.2 Utilize the Preferred Growth Concept Map, the Preferred Land Preservation Plan and the Future Land Use Map to guide all development review applications within the plan horizon.
2.2.1 Utilize the Denton Development Code (DDC) to ensure that future development review applications are consistent with the Preferred Growth Concept Map, the Preferred land Preservation Plan and the Future Land Use Map.
2.2.2 Revise zoning districts for consistency with future land use designations.
2.2.3 Revise the Zoning Map for consistency with the Preferred Growth Concept Map and the Future Land Use Map. Involve the affected property owners and general public in this effort. Property owners will be properly notified before any action is taken.
2.3 Provide expanded flexibility for mixed-use by implementing the mixed-use future land use designations that reflect the priorities of the Denton community and reflect current market conditions.
2.3.1 Create Area Plans and Overlay Districts to implement the mixed-use future land use designations on the Future Land Use Map and the focus areas on the Focus Area Concept Map.
Plan and Policy Coordination: Another important citywide land use consideration is to foster greater coordination between land use policies and policies for mobility and infrastructure. The Comprehensive Plan is the key policy document to which future revisions of all plans and programs among all city department plans and policies should be revised for consistency, to ensure coordination of land use mobility and infrastructure planning. Also, other governmental entities should be requested to address the consistency of their future plans with the land use policies contained in the Comprehensive Plan. In addition, other entities exert considerable influence on land use and growth dynamics in Denton, particularly the school siting decisions of multiple school districts and transit operated by Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA). Clear procedures are needed to improve coordination.
2.4 Use the Denton Mobility Plan and Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to coordinate mobility and infrastructure planning to be consistent with the Land Use Element.
2.4.1 Use the Mobility Plan to reflect the development intensity and areas of new growth illustrated in the Land Use Element.
2.4.2 Update the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to prioritize the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and the Mobility Plan.
2.4.3 Update the Transportation Criteria Manual to reflect the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the Mobility Plan.
2.4.4 Update the DDC to allow publicly owned and managed trails within riparian buffers and water-related areas.
2.5 Improve coordination with other entities to implement the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan.
2.5.1 Continue coordination meetings with TxDOT, DCTA, and DISD on roadway and infrastructure projects.
2.5.2 Continue meeting with university leadership regarding roadway and infrastructure improvements impacting the universities.
2.5.3 Maintain regular communication with North Central Texas Council of Government (NCTCOG) on funding opportunities for necessary pedestrian, transit, and connectivity infrastructure projects.
2.5.4 Continue regular coordination meetings with other entities such as utility providers, surrounding municipalities, and regional and federal agencies for land use, mobility and infrastructure planning.
GOAL LU-2: Grow with Purpose: Achieve re-investment, revitalization, and redevelopment of key growth Centers and Corridors.
Policies and Actions
Downtown Investment:
A fundamental component of the Preferred Growth Concept Map, is to encourage compact growth in mixed-use centers and corridors. Principal among the city's centers is Downtown Denton. The Downtown has been the subject of past planning efforts intended to promote growth and revitalization, most recently the Downtown Improvement Plan (DTIP) containing action recommendations to implement the Downtown Denton Master Plan adopted in 2002. While certain recommendations have been acted upon, more direct initiatives to stimulate redevelopment have not been implemented. Consequently, there is a need to revisit the Downtown Denton Master Plan and the DTIP to create a new set of priorities with an emphasis on the development of Downtown housing, both as new development and the adaptive re-use of underutilized buildings, and upper floors above commercial uses. Another priority for the Downtown is to strengthen the older neighborhoods and commercial areas immediately surrounding it. An update to the Downtown Master Plan and the DTIP should also address ongoing issues such as parking, historic preservation, connectivity, and the compatibility of infill. Downtown continues to be a key focus point for tourism, historic preservation, entertainment,
cultural activities and more. Multiple developers have approached the City over the past few years, but without continued investment in downtown, future growth and improvements are limited. A comprehensive approach to Downtown is best, taking into account new public-private partnerships, infrastructure needs, and updated goals adopted by the City.
2.6 Promote mixed-use development, diversification, and intensification of Downtown Denton
2.6.1 Update the Downtown Master Plan and the Downtown Implementation Plan.
2.6.2 Create regulatory incentives, such as density bonuses, to expand housing in and adjacent to Downtown though adaptive re-use, utilization of upper stories, and infill development.
2.6.3 Refocus the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) in the Downtown area so that it incorporates the new strategies in the 2020 Economic Development Strategic Plan.
2.6.4 Consider creation of a Parking Management Authority to address the parking challenges in Downtown Denton.
2.6.5 Create development standards for urban design, streetscape, scale, and architectural character applicable to the Downtown based on the updated Downtown Master Plan and DTIP, the guidance of the general urban design principles and policies of the Community Character and Urban Design Element, and the proposed citywide Urban Design Plan.
University Collaboration: Downtown Denton, together with the campuses of UNT and TWU make up Denton’s urban core. However, the neighborhoods surrounding the universities have been heavily impacted by student housing, parking overspills, and university property acquisition for campus expansion. To addresses these issues, Neighborhood/ University Compatibility Area Area Plans are needed, with implementation through the Neighborhood/University Compatibility Area future land use designation. These should be coordinated with any future revisions to the DTIP to address common issues such as conflicts in scale, use and intensity, parking and vehicular circulation, blighted properties, walkability, transit access, and coordination between city and university planning. Due to development activities near the UNT campus the Oak Gateway Area Plan was prepared and approved to update the Fry Street Small Area Plan. The Plan addresses concerns raised by surrounding property owners and residents and provides recommendations for redevelopment that is compatible between the surrounding residential neighborhoods and the UNT campus. As UNT and TWU update and implement their Master Plans and as the City of Denton prepares Area Plans around the universities, existing agreements should be updated and new one established as needed.
2.7 Encourage collaborative planning for development and redevelopment surrounding UNT, TWU, and other major institutions.
2.7.1 Create more Neighborhood/University Compatibility Area Area Plans with UNT and TWU, and coordinate them with the updated Downtown Master Plan and Downtown Implementation Plan
2.7.2 Establish and update agreements for joint city – university planning, partnership, and collaboration within the Neighborhood/University Compatibility Areas, focusing on issues such as:
* Creation of redevelopment target areas surrounding blighted properties
* Regulation of on-street and off-street parking
* Pedestrian and bicycle facility improvement
* Hazard mitigation
* Housing
* Wayfinding
* Preservation of historic structures and features
* Green Infrastructure
2.7.3 Create development standards for urban design, streetscape, scale, green infrastructure, and architectural character applicable for the Neighborhood/University Compatibility Area future land use designation based on the proposed Neighborhood/University Compatibility Area Area Plan, the guidance of the general urban design principles and policies of the Community Character and Urban Design Element, and the proposed citywide Urban Design Plan.
A fundamental component of the Preferred Growth Concept is the encouragement of a compact growth pattern oriented around mixed-use centers and corridors. Centers and corridors are proposed to allow mixed-use development that focus increased density and activity at key locations with radiating density extending outwards from the primary intersections or corridors. Centers and corridors were identified based on the locations within the city that are currently centers of activity and those that offer opportunity for future focus, either in the form of new development or redevelopment, and have the capacity to accommodate growth. While these areas have the capacity to accommodate growth, they must be closely evaluated in future development proposals to ensure that development achieves the vision of creating enhanced character and higher standards of design and economic vitality throughout the city. The mechanism through
which this is accomplished is the Area Plan, which is identified for key centers and corridors based on the Focus Areas Concept (Figure 4.1). The centers and corridors are consistent with the locations of concentrated development illustrated on the Preferred Growth Concept (Figure 1.1).
Once an Area Plan is prepared, an Overlay District may be established to create additional zoning standards which are applicable to the context of the proposed center or corridor. Area Plans may also establish specific standards and guidelines for public and private realm development and improvement, treatments for gateways, and other placemaking strategies. The Implementation and Monitoring Element contains guidance on how to create an Area Plan and an Overlay District, when it is determined that these are the chosen methods for guiding future development in specific areas.
2.8 Create incentives and regulatory tools to promote new development or redevelopment of key centers and corridors.
2.8.1 Prioritize and create Area Plans for enters and corridors, consistent with the Focus Areas Concept (Figure 4.1)
2.8.2 Establish Overlay Districts as a result of Area Plans that apply revised development standards tailored to specific centers and corridors.
2.8.3 Through the city's Capital Improvement Program (CIP), prioritize investments in designated centers and corridors based on mobility recommendations and street standards.
2.8.4 Establish Area Plans and Overlay Districts for employment focus areas to support industry clusters such as high-tech parks and rail/freight focused developments and minimize impacts to nearby residential land uses.
GOAL LU-3: Grow our Assets: Maintain and Strengthen Neighborhoods, Commercial and Employment Areas.
Policies and Actions
Infill in Residential Areas:
As noted in Table 2-1, single-family residential is the city’s largest category of developed land use. Single-family housing and neighborhoods will remain a valuable resource, which should be protected from harmful influences, such as abrupt contrasts of scale and intensity. However, the City should take every opportunity to ensure that as gaps in the neighborhood fabric occur, infill development, that is development of vacant or deteriorated properties will be encouraged, complimenting the scale and character of each neighborhood. Infill development also creates opportunities for more compact forms of development and affordable housing options. Types of residential products that could be suitable infill in single-family neighborhoods include well-
designed townhomes, quad apartments, duplexes, and other types of low-moderate density housing which is potentially compatible within single-family neighborhoods. In addition, accessory dwelling units such as garage apartments and “granny flats” and a second small unit on a single-family lot could be considered. Some existing neighborhoods may tend to fear or resist the introduction of new housing types and perceive them as threats to neighborhood stability. Such concerns must be addressed by carefully examining how and where such uses can be introduced carefully within neighborhoods and in transitional areas, particularly along higher volume roadway corridors where single-family homes are no longer desirable. For neighborhoods that show signs of distress and transition, including declines in physical upkeep and home ownership, neighborhood conservation strategies should be used to target interventions to contribute to neighborhood revitalization and stability. The Community Character and Urban Design Element and Housing and Neighborhood Element contain corresponding policies for achieving compatible infill and redevelopment.
2.9 Promote the stability and livability of established neighborhoods through the creation of guidelines and standards for compatible infill and the removal of impediments to redevelopment.
2.9.1 Conduct an inventory to identify areas of the city with infill potential within established neighborhoods.
2.9.2 Establish criteria to identify the characteristics of compatible infill development, which would include guidelines to prevent impacts and encroachments of incompatible uses, development scales and intensities.
2.9.3 Identify and remove regulatory impediments to compatible infill and redevelopment. Consider zoning overlays, form-based codes, hybrid codes, and other code solutions to support compatible redevelopment and infill.
2.9.4 Enact standards in the Denton Development Code to ensure proper transitions and buffers between conflicting land use, scale, and intensities.
2.9.5 Apply neighborhood conservation strategies such as targeted code enforcement, housing rehabilitation, and clearance of blighted properties.
2.9.6 As new zoning districts are developed, ensure that the new zoning districts are consistent with the FLUM and the land use designations.
Similarly, in commercial and employment areas, change and obsolescence will occur as consumer preferences for retail change. Instances of underutilized parking lots and out-dated big box stores produce gaps in the activity pattern and may contribute to blight. To address this inevitable obsolescence, the city should facilitate non-residential adaptive re-use, infill and redevelopment, and take advantage of opportunities to apply innovative development standards as redevelopment
occurs. The Community Character and Urban Design Element contains corresponding policies for achieving compatible infill and redevelopment.
2.10 Promote the stability, quality, and functionality of commercial and employment areas through improved development standards and by addressing obsolescence.
2.10.1 Create and maintain an inventory of underutilized and abandoned “big box” retail structures as potential adaptive reuse, infill, and redevelopment sites to be developed to fill gaps in commercial and employment areas.
2.10.2 Create and apply design and development standards to improve development quality and functionality of commercial and employment areas.
GOAL LU-4: Grow Resourcefully: Manage growth for wise use of land resources with staged, contiguous, and compatible development.
Growth and Annexation: The developable acreage within the present city limits and planned annexation areas is considerably more than will be needed to meet the growth needs of Denton through 2040. Although annexations provide a degree of control over what develops at the city’s edge and may be needed in order to prevent development using municipal utility districts, through which the city would lose influence to manage growth within its ETJ, the City needs to apply strict annexation criteria based on need and fiscal impacts by applying adequate public facilities criteria for future annexations and development approvals and continue policies for proactive growth management for a contiguous development patterns at the city’s edge.
Because much of the city’s present excess development capacity is within large planned communities, build-out will likely take longer than two decades to complete. Much of the development will occur well into the future when market conditions, consumer preferences, and development practices may be much different from today. At present, some areas zoned as Master Planned Communities (MPCs) are associated with development plans that may not reflect present-day or future needs and preferences. It is in the mutual best interest of the City and the owners and developers of the MPCs to anticipate and provide for flexibility in re-planning these developments. Future MPC plans or Planned Developments should seek to introduce more innovative mixed-use and walkable development patterns with greater connectivity to the development pattern of the city, and alternative mixes and locations of residential, and centers for commercial development and employment.
2.11 Promote development of Master Planned Communities (MPCs) and Planned Developments that are consistent with the long-term vision of the Preferred Land Preservation Plan and FLUM.
2.11.1 Establish a process to facilitate revisions to the land use mix and design of approved MPCs including:
2.11.2 Consider adoption of an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance to complement existing tools for growth management. This would enable the timing of development approvals to encourage development in areas contiguous with the city's current footprint and priority development areas consistent with the Preferred Growth Concept.
2.12 Expand the city limits through annexations at a rate consistent with the city's growth rate and the demand for additional land, based on fiscal impact, the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the provision of city infrastructure and services.
2.12.1 Revise annexation policies to reflect the sufficiency of undeveloped land within the present city limit, the need for a contiguous development pattern at the edge, and an assessment of the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the provision of city infrastructure and services in various portions of the ETJ.
2.12.2 Base future annexations on considerations of fiscal impact, covering all public facilities and services, and on a determination of adequate public facilities.
Natural gas production is increasing, both nationally and locally, due to new technologies that enable economic exploration and development of what once was a hard-to-produce resource. Researchers continue to identify the costs and benefits associated with natural gas production. The research continues to raise questions and creates a regulatory environment that is still relatively fluid. Denton’s regulatory environment is intricately dependent on state and federal laws,
legal challenges, stakeholders and interest groups, new research, and seemingly constant updates to best practices.
2.13 Ensure proper and orderly development of both surface uses and mineral interests within the City’s boundaries and extra-territorial jurisdiction under current conditions.
2.13.1 Ensure that Denton is applying best practices to minimize the impacts of gas wells and pipelines. Monitor the implementation of the 2016 gas well ordinance and the 2020 gas well setback ordinance and identify the ongoing impacts of gas well drilling and production on surface development costs and on roads and traffic patterns, the future effects of such activities on the Mobility Plan, and the fiscal and economic impacts of gas well development.
2.13.2 Prepare an Energy Exploration Master Plan to establish a long-term vision for energy exploration in Denton that guides siting, permitting, maintenance, inspections, reporting, and transitioning.
2.13.3 Consider the impacts of gas drilling and production sites and the location of pipelines in future updates to the Mobility Plan.
Denton Plan 2030 policies for proactive, managed growth to develop a well-defined and contiguous edge, avoiding inefficient leapfrog development, remain applicable. Specific means to achieve sound edge conditions include the City’s water and wastewater CNNs (areas designated by Certificates of Convenience and Necessity), water bodies and watershed boundaries, and interlocal agreements with adjacent communities to define shared boundaries and the use.
As much of Denton is characterized as rural and agricultural land that possesses a character of Denton’s past and natural environment that is cherished, conservation development is recommended as the primary means of managing the interface of the developed and undeveloped land. Conservation development is an approach to the design of rural residential subdivisions which is highly suited to agricultural fringe areas where the retention of rural character and open space is desired. The concept is applied by permitting smaller, clustered lots, in return for the preservation of generous amounts of open space. A conservation development alternative, as proposed in the Rural Area future land use designation, would allow for the same number of smaller lots at the same gross density. For example, on a 100-acre tract zoned RD-5, an owner could develop 20 five-acre lots, completely subdividing the property. Under a conservation development alternative, 20 lots would also be permitted, but as small as one acre, consuming only 20 of the 100 acres. The remaining 80 acres could remain as a farm, pasture, homestead estate, or as protected open space, thus more effectively retaining rural character. This approach is highly advantageous both to the public and to private developers. It reduces the costs of public services with more compact development and makes available protected open space with habitat,
scenic, and recreational value at no public cost of acquisition. Conversely, advantages to developers and property owners include improved development profitability by lowering development costs for roads and utilities, along with tax advantages from open space easements or dedications and higher the sales values of residential lots which abut permanently protected scenic open space, comparable to the premium sales values of lots along golf fairways.
2.14 Protect rural character and scenic open space at the city’s Edge to promote the achievement of the Preferred Growth Concept, Preferred Land Preservation Plan, and the FLUM.
2.14.1 Promote conservation (clustered) development in rural areas, with permanently protected open space in conservation easements, as an alternative to large lot development.
2.14.2 Expand the network of protected rural open space including floodplains and stream corridors through open space in conservation easements and through land dedications, voluntary conservation easements, land trusts, and parks. Develop procedures for transfers of ownership and responsibilities for management of protected open space.
The City of Denton has a well-established, collaborative relationship with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) that coordinates planning in the region. Denton participates in several regional mobility and sustainability initiatives as part of NCTCOG, including the Trinity Trail System, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) initiatives, school siting coordination, complete streets standards, achieving regional air quality standards, and other sustainable development initiatives. Similar collaborative relationships should be sought with Denton County and adjacent municipalities concerning coordination of development standards, growth management policies, environmental protection, and coordinated development review of projects which impact multiple jurisdictions. The Parks, Conservation, and Environment and Infrastructure and Utilities Elements contain corresponding policies for furthering conservation goals, maintaining rural character, and the provision of facilities. These Elements will work in tandem with the Land Use Element to achieve this goal.
2.15 Support continued intergovernmental coordination to address common issues of growth management and resource conservation and provision of public facilities and services.
2.15.1 Maintain coordination with NCTCOG on issues of sustainable development, regional mobility, and stormwater management.
2.15.2 Maintain engagement with Denton County and adjacent municipalities concerning coordinated planning and development review for projects with regional impacts and the application of innovative standards for roads, infrastructure, and development.
Development in the ETJ: Currently, Denton maintains an ETJ, which is the unincorporated area contiguous to the city’s corporate boundaries. The ETJ’s distance from the city limits is determined by the city’s population and offers an opportunity to manage growth at the city’s edge. As a population greater than 100,000, Denton’s ETJ extends five miles beyond the city’s boundaries in all directions, and the city currently has the ability to monitor development that occurs within this area, but does not have substantial regulatory power. Since the ETJ is not the city proper, it does not have city zoning and therefore not subject to the city’s development controls. In Denton County, the county has oversight over development in the ETJ. However, when property owners want to plat a tract of land or develop a subdivision they have to plat with the City. Currently, Denton has an interlocal agreement with Denton County in which the City of Denton is involved in the approval process for subdivision applications in its ETJ. This agreement should be revised to ensure that development within the ETJ conforms to the Comprehensive Plan. When reviewing subdivision applications in the ETJ, the following policies and associated future land use designations should be followed. Additional tools are needed to ensure that development conforms to the desired character that the City prefers to maintain in its rural areas. Similarly, location of gas wells should be reviewed alongside any subdivision applications in the ETJ to ensure that uses are complementary and infrastructure can be feasibly expanded. (See Policy 2.13 above)
Lastly, at present it is also possible to easily create Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) for the provision of services in unincorporated parts of the county in order to bypass annexation and allow for fast-tracked development. The proliferation of utility districts has allowed for a non-contiguous growth in Denton County that is not overseen by any municipality. Denton should encourage growth in MUDs that is consistent with City standards and with the compact manner of growth envisioned for the city’s future.
2.16 Support designated future land uses within the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) to control the extent and character of development in the city’s periphery.
2.16.1 Continue to monitor growth in the ETJ by requiring City approval of subdivision applications in its ETJ through the established interlocal agreement with Denton County. Consider coordinating with Denton County to update the established interlocal agreement.
2.16.2 Encourage proposed subdivision applications in the ETJ to be consistent with the Preferred Growth Concept, FLUM, established future land use designations and standards, and preserves rural character and natural environment.
2.16.3 Update the interim MUD policy criteria to encourage consistency with land use criteria, adopted plans, and adopted infrastructure standards and require review of any MUDs in the development review process.
2.16.4 Coordinate with surrounding municipalities as part of the approval process for development proposals in Denton’s ETJ where the proposed development is in close proximity or where a municipality shares a boundary.
GOAL LU-5: Grow with Character: Promote Development which Enhances Community Character and Functionality.
Policies and Actions
Maintaining Character: An important source of community pride in Denton is the fact that the city has historically maintained a separate and distinct identity and character, from other rapidly growing neighboring communities. To ensure that this distinct character is retained, this series of policies and actions proposes a comprehensive review of the city’s development standards influencing both development quality and character, including architectural and landscape character. In addition, development standards influencing the city’s functionality should be reviewed, including “complete streets” design standards to promote walking, bicycling and transit use, as well as auto traffic.
In addition, unique areas of the city require a unique set of standards, applied through new Area Plans. These may include areas that have a unique character or sensitivity, such as the city’s entrances and gateways, environmentally sensitive areas, and uses that pose unique challenges of compatibility, such as travel centers, which can exert impacts associated with truck traffic. Finally, while additional standards would primarily influence private sector development practice, it is appropriate that the City models a high standard for the design of public buildings, parks, and civic spaces. The Community Character and Urban Design Element contains general guidelines for the provision of a vibrant public realm, quality urban design of buildings, and creation of distinct “places.”
2.17 Continue to facilitate and support desired forms of development and improved standards for urban design and placemaking that are consistent with the Preferred Growth Scenario, Preferred Land Preservation Plan, and FLUM.
2.17.1 Create and apply additional Area Plans to address challenges and enhance unique character areas.
2.17.2 Streamline the approval process for developments demonstrated to be consistent with the Preferred Growth Concept, Preferred Land Preservation Plan and FLUM.
2.18 Set a high standard of quality in the design of the public realm to enhance appearance and functionality.
2.18.1 Enhance design standards pertaining to aesthetics and complete streets for future construction of public rights-of-way and thoroughfares.
2.18.2 Coordinate design guidelines with the Mobility Plan goals and policies to achieve a functional street network for a wide range of transportation options.
2.18.3 Establish public realm design guidelines for buildings, streets, and public spaces that will achieve an aesthetically-pleasing interface between the public and private realm.
GOAL LU-6: Grow with Balance: Establish land use designations that respond to the growing needs and character specifications of the Denton community.
Table 2-2 lists and describes the future land use designations. The desired pattern of future land uses is depicted in Figure 2.2: Future Land Use Map (FLUM). When compared to existing land uses, it becomes evident that the planned land uses reflect new patterns designed not only to accommodate the projected growth in population, but also to do so in creative ways that result in a more sustainable pattern, including greater use of mixed-use and targeted re-use and revitalization of designated centers and corridors.
The purpose of the FLUM is threefold: first, to depict the intended long-term pattern of residential, commercial, employment, and other supporting land uses, as articulated in the Community Vision and through the land uses goals, policies, and actions. Second, the FLUM establishes the basis for adjustments to zoning district changes, development review procedures and other tools, to achieve the desired pattern and quality of development. Finally, the FLUM guides coordinated transportation and utility planning in order to ensure that facility capacities are consistent with the demands from anticipated levels and intensities of development.
The FLUM, however, does not constitute zoning, nor does it establish zoning district boundaries. Instead, the FLUM reflects a broad policy for future distribution of land uses to be achieved through the year 2040, to be used in guiding future re-zoning and other development decisions within the city's corporate limits and subdivision applications in the city's extraterritorial jurisdictions. The general land use descriptions below are developed from the goals, policies and actions in this section and it is the intent that they will aid in development review.
Table 2-2. Future Land Use Designations
| Land Use | Description | Acres in ETJs | Percent of Area in ETJs | Acres in Denton City Limits | Percent of Area in Denton City Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | This category denotes areas that have large tracts of land in active agriculture uses for preservation, including ranchland, field crops, and other similar agricultural uses. This may also include rural | 35,594 | 33% | 4,556 | 7% |
| Land Use | Description | Acres in ETJs | Percent of Area in ETJs | Acres in Denton City Limits | Percent of Area in Denton City Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| commercial uses, alternative energy generation, and accessory structures to support agricultural uses and uses that support agritourism. This category may include large lot residential (a maximum of one unit per ten acres). This land use may allow lots as small as one acre under the gross density provision to allow for conservation development which clusters smaller lots while permanently protecting scenic rural open space (through conservation easements). Residential development in this future land use category will continue the present character of the rural and agricultural areas of Denton with low-profile homes of no greater than two stories, generous lots and setbacks, and materials that complement the natural surroundings and ranch heritage. | |||||
| Rural Areas | This category includes farms and ranches as the predominant use along with rural residential (a maximum of one unit per five acres) and rural commercial including feed stores, farm equipment, etc. This land use may allow lots as small as one acre under the gross density provision to allow for conservation development which clusters smaller lots while permanently protecting scenic rural open space (through conservation easements). This land use may also include single-family homes on large lots, which are suited for areas on the periphery of the city that complement a more suburban type of development. Development in this future land use category will continue the present character of the rural areas of Denton with low-profile homes of no greater than two stories, generous lots and setbacks, and materials that complement the natural surroundings and ranch heritage. | 37,746 | 35% | 3,703 | 6% |
| Low Residential | This category includes the city’s predominantly single-family neighborhoods, with lot sizes ranging from one acre or more in rural fringe areas up to five units per acre gross density throughout many of the city’s suburban subdivisions. Dwellings in this land use district are generally one to two stories with private driveways and open space, consisting of privately-maintained tree canopy and front, back and side yards. Building and driveway orientation, the locations of private garages, building material, and the presence of sidewalks vary by neighborhood and the era of | 3,440 | 3% | 15,960 | 25% |
| Land Use | Description | Acres in ETJs | Percent of Area in ETJs | Acres in Denton City Limits | Percent of Area in Denton City Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| neighborhood development. Generally, these types of single-family neighborhoods are developed as distinct subdivisions that are linked by internal circulation systems with limited access to local and connector roads. This category may also include land uses that support residential neighborhoods, such as appropriately scaled commercial at arterial and collector street corners, and appropriately scaled public and quasi-public uses, such as religious and educational institutions. <br><br> Density: Up to 5 dwelling units per acre | |||||
| Moderate Residential | This category accommodates single-family detached housing on small lots, typical of Denton's more compact, established single-family neighborhoods and low-rise multi-family dwellings and townhomes. This land use applies to areas within the central areas of Denton and transition areas between established single-family neighborhoods and mixed-use or commercial areas that can accommodate greater density, or adjacent to key corridors. Dwellings in this future land use category vary in scale and style and may contain a great deal of diversity by each street and block. Most areas are characterized by rectilinear lots with modest front yards. Most streets are lined by sidewalks, but this is not prevailing throughout. Development is linked by local streets and is most commonly accessed by multiple intersections and points of access. While the land use primarily includes single-family dwellings, multi-family dwellings, and townhomes may be located in this land use as well. While the quality of multi-family dwellings and townhomes currently varies, in the case of future infill development, they should maintain a scale, style, and building orientation in order to complement the prevailing character of its surroundings. This category may also include land uses that support residential neighborhoods, such as neighborhood scaled commercial at arterial and collector street corners, and appropriately scaled public and quasi-public uses, such as religious and educational institutions. <br><br> Density: (5-12 dwelling units per acre) | 582 | 1% | 2,827 | 5% |
| Master Planned Community | This category denotes large-scale developments that are guided by separate development approvals, which | 1 | >1% | 8,968 | 14% |
| Land Use | Description | Acres in ETJs | Percent of Area in ETJs | Acres in Denton City Limits | Percent of Area in Denton City Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| establish the land uses, densities and intensities of development, and character. These developments typically provide for mixed uses that balance residential and non-residential uses and provide connectivity to other development throughout the city. | |||||
| Downtown Denton | This designation allows for moderate (6-12 du/ac) and high density residential (>12 du/ac), commercial, office, entertainment, and other uses, except industrial, tailored to encourage a greater level of activity in Downtown, while protecting the scale and strengthening the character of Downtown and Denton's historic core. Downtown Denton is centered on the blocks surrounding the Square and will include development that complements and is oriented to this historic grid pattern of this area. As Downtown Denton is characterized by a particular scale and character, it is important that this be maintained in future development. However, as the cultural heart of Denton, it is also appropriate to allow for a variety of uses that can help foster the economic viability and evolution of Downtown to serve the community's current preferences and needs. As significant infill opportunities exist in Downtown, development is encouraged. As the downtown area extends away from the Square, land uses should continue to have compatible form and uses for the areas that serve to strengthen both the Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. | 0 | 0% | 459 | 7% |
| Regional Mixed Use | This designation applies to areas that serve as regional destinations within Denton. Development may include residential, commercial, office, entertainment and other uses except industrial, at the highest levels of scale and density within the city. Unique development standards are proposed to create the walkable urban character and day and nighttime activity of an urban center. Major medical and health care institutions and the areas of influence around them are included in this future land use designation. This designation is located primarily along I-35 interchanges and along primary arterials to encourage the greatest regional accessibility. Future development in Regional Mixed-use areas will complement and embrace existing, viable uses, and raise the standard of design to increase their regional | 0 | 0% | 2,350 | 4% |
| Land Use | Description | Acres in ETJs | Percent of Area in ETJs | Acres in Denton City Limits | Percent of Area in Denton City Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| draw, accommodate greater connectivity and mobility options, and create a sense of place. | |||||
| Community Mixed Use | This designation is intended to promote a mix of uses, of which various commercial uses remain predominant, but where residential, service, and other uses are complementary. This land use applies to existing and future commercial areas in the city, where redevelopment to mixed-use is desirable. The intent is to encourage infill and redevelopment for a more diverse and attractive mix of uses over time. Examples include residential units over commercial uses or a wider array of economically viable uses to replace obsolete uses such as former car sales lots and vacated big box stores. Such areas also may represent opportunities for higher density and mixed housing types, without impacting, nearby single-family neighborhoods. Future development in Community Mixed Use areas will complement and embrace existing, viable uses, and raise the standard of design to increase their economic viability, accommodate greater connectivity and mobility options, and create a sense of place to serve the local community. | 56 | >1% | 2,593 | 4% |
| Neighborhood Mixed Use | This designation applies to neighborhoods or districts where the predominant use is residential, but with a mix of compatible housing types and densities along with local-serving, non-residential retail and service uses. Such use mixes are typically found in established neighborhoods in the city's core that accommodate local services. This designation is also applied in areas of future development suited primarily to single-family development, but where neighborhood-serving retail and services are critical to achieving balanced, accessible neighborhoods. At these locations, a diverse mix of housing types and densities may also be accommodated. Buildings should be appropriately scaled and have an intensity that complements the surrounding neighborhood and environment. Future development in Neighborhood Mixed Use areas will complement and embrace existing, viable uses, and raise the standard of design to increase connectivity and mobility options, and create a sense of place to serve the neighborhood. | 2 | >1% | 517 | 1% |
| Land Use | Description | Acres in ETJs | Percent of Area in ETJs | Acres in Denton City Limits | Percent of Area in Denton City Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood / University Compatibility Area | This land use designation applies to residential and commercial areas adjacent to University of North Texas (UNT) and Texas Woman’s University (TWU) that are affected by their proximity to the university. Currently these areas are characterized by university and commercial buildings abutting, in many cases, single-family neighborhoods. As the universities are projected to increase in enrollment, which will require additional facilities, commercial uses and student housing, this designation is to create compatible form and land uses for the areas that serve both the established neighborhoods and the universities. | 0 | 0% | 558 | 1% |
| Business Center | The Business Center designation is envisioned to be the City’s employment centers, intended to allow for a range of businesses both in terms of sizes and types. From large tracts of land designed for well-planned, larger scale corporate office and employment parks, developed in a campus setting to smaller size tracts for research and technology businesses and start-up businesses. Supporting uses can be commercial uses, such as retail, hotels, and restaurants. The mixed-use nature of these areas will ensure that employment areas will be benefit from complementary retail and services throughout the day. Single-use, stand-alone residential use developments are not allowed within the Business Center designation. However residential uses (as a subordinated use) may be part of a larger mixed-use development. The proposed developments should include generous, linked open space to maximize value and to promote visual quality and compatibility with the surrounding area. This designation may be in areas that are in close proximity to commercial use areas and employment hubs in the city, so that future expansion may build from this proximity and create a critical mass for economic success. | 97 | >1% | 1,562 | 2% |
| Light Industrial | This designation is intended for tracts of land that are appropriate for light industrial activity. Primary uses include light manufacturing, assembling, and warehousing and distribution, and include associated supporting uses, such as offices, retail, and restaurants. Light Industrial areas should have adequate access to infrastructure, including the | 1,888 | 2% | 3,064 | 5% |
| Land Use | Description | Acres in ETJs | Percent of Area in ETJs | Acres in Denton City Limits | Percent of Area in Denton City Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| transportation network. It is important in future development that transitions to adjacent sensitive land uses are considered. | |||||
| Industrial Commerce | This designation applies to areas where the predominant uses include both light and heavy industrial uses, such as moderate to heavy manufacturing, assembly, fabrication, and wholesaling. Distribution warehouses may be included in this designation if used to replace underutilized and heavy industrial uses, or if ultimately reused to house future industrial development. This designation is located primarily west of I-35W near the Denton Municipal Airport. It is important in future development that transitions to adjacent sensitive land uses are considered. | 1,223 | 1% | 3,490 | 6% |
| Government / Institutional | This designation applies to government-owned land, university and college campuses, and similar large-scale institutional activity centers. Development in these land use areas is typically subject to particular guidelines and therefore outside of the oversight of development review. It is important that transitions to adjacent land uses are considered in the development of future government and institutional-related uses. In the case of universities, these are addressed within the Neighborhood/University Compatibility Area future land use designation. Coordination on future development will ensure that these land uses are appropriately designed. Government and institutional uses often include structures that often become architectural and visual landmarks, which adds to the community's sense of place and identity. As such, development of future governmental and institutions uses should recognize principles of placemaking. | 27 | >1% | 3,858 | 6% |
| Parks/Open Space | This designation applies to existing large-scale parks and protected open spaces of citywide significance that are expected to remain as open space in perpetuity. These are illustrated on Figure 5.1. Potential future large-scale park acquisitions, as well as smaller neighborhood parks and recreational uses may be included in a variety of future land use designations as allowable uses. | 22,264 | 21% | 2,791 | 4% |
| Right of Way | 4,626 | 4% |
Figure 2.2 Future Land Use Map
⬚ figure
| ☐ City Limits | Future Land Use | Community Mixed Use |
| ▨ ETJ Division 1 | ■ Agriculture | Neighborhood Mixed Use |
| ▦ ETJ Division 2 | ■ Rural Areas | Neighborhood / University Compatibility Area |
| ■ Lakes | ■ Low Residential | Business Center |
| ■ Potential Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs)<br>(petitioning for state approval) | ■ Moderate Residential | Light Industrial |
| ■ Master Planned Community<br>(refer to approved development plans) | Industrial Commerce | |
| ■ Downtown Denton | Government / Institutional | |
| ■ Regional Mixed Use | Parks / Open Space |
This product is for informational purposes and may not have been prepared for or be suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. It does not represent an on-the-ground survey and represents only the approximate relative location of property boundaries. Although every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of this data, no such guarantee is given or implied. Utilization of this map indicates the understanding that there is no guarantee to the accuracy of this data.
⬚ figure
| Parks | Trails/Parks/Bike Master Plan | Riparian Buffers | Cross Timbers Upland Habitat |
| Lakes | — Existing On-Street | ■ Preserved | ■ Preserved |
| Streams | — Existing Sidepath | ■ Potential to be Preserved | ■ Potential to be Preserved |
| City Limits | — Existing Trail | Water Related Habitat | Floodplain |
| ETJ Division 1 | - - - Future On-Street | ■ Preserved | ■ Preserved |
| ETJ Division 2 | - - - Future Sidepath | ■ Potential to be Preserved | ■ Potential to be Preserved |
| - - - Future Strategic Corridor | |||
| - - - Future Trail |
The goals, policies, and actions necessary to ensure the sustained vitality of Denton must celebrate Denton’s strengths, support the community and welcome visitors, grow the economy, and ensure an infrastructure system capable of evolving with growth. The Fiscal and Economic Vitality Element provides information needed to address the impacts of new and different development in Denton, and provides a framework for budgeting for the financial implications of growth.
This Element explores approaches available to Denton to provide fiscally responsible infrastructure and public facilities necessary to support the community and economic development goals put forth throughout the Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Results of a Fiscal Impact Analysis (FIA) that was conducted inform the economic and fiscal policy and action recommendations of this Element. The community envisions more infill and compact urban form in the incorporated city, therefore, the results of the FIA reflect this vision.
Fiscal impact analyses enable a city to estimate the difference between the costs of providing services for new development and the taxes, user fees, and other revenues generated by new development. The intent of a FIA is to guide policy decisions regarding revenue enhancements, and maintaining community facilities and services in keeping with population growth, otherwise known as levels of service. Major conclusions of the FIA inform the Fiscal and Economic Vitality Element through policy and action recommendations that build on current strengths to diversify the economy, explore opportunities for revenue enhancement, and encourage a development pattern that maximizes existing infrastructure.
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