Title
Discussion on the Public Hearing Notification Requirements for Zoning Cases
Description/History
At the February 16, 2021, meeting, the Commission requested information regarding the notification requirements for public hearings. Notifications for zoning changes are established in Section 211 of the Texas Local Government Code. The statute requires the following:
· Written notice of a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission on a proposed zoning must be sent to each owner listed on the most recently approved municipal tax roll, of real property within 200 feet of the property on which the change in classification is proposed.
· A public hearing notice must be published in an officially designated newspaper no less than 15 days before the public hearing at City Council. The official newspaper of Mansfield is the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
· Section 8600 of the Zoning Ordinance mirrors these requirements.
In addition to the state requirements, Staff also performs the following:
· A yellow Zoning Change sign is placed on the subject property by City staff, usually the day following an application deadline. The sign is not required by law, but is displayed as a courtesy for the adjacent residents and the traveling public passing the property.
· Staff provides the dates for the public hearings at the Commission and the City Council in both the written notice to property owners and the legal advertisement in the newspaper rather than sending them separately.
· Although the law only requires the City to send notice to the owners listed on the approved tax roll, Staff compares the list to a current tax roll in case a property has been sold. In this instance, both the owner on the approved roll and the new owner will be sent a notice. A list of owners notified is included in the Commission’s packet information.
· The City has created a Development Projects Map on the City website. This map displays the zoning case applications and tracks the...
Click here for full text