PURPOSE: The "BR", Brownstone District is established to accommodate the residential housing types and medium densities, not to exceed 8 dwelling units per acre on fee simple, individually platted lots in an urban design form. This district includes medium density residential development that is single-family, on separately platted lots with frontage onto publicly dedicated streets, and typically owner-occupied.

USES GENERALLY: In an "BR", Brownstone Residential District, no land shall be used, and no building shall be erected or converted to any use other than as hereinafter provided.

A.

Permitted uses:

1.

Brownstones.

2.

Churches, convents, and other places of worship.

3.

Parks, playgrounds, and nature preserves publicly owned.

4.

Temporary buildings when they are to be used only for construction purposes or as a field office within a subdivision approved by the city for the sale of the real estate of that subdivision only. Such temporary construction buildings shall be removed upon completion or abandonment of construction of the subdivision and shall not be present longer than two (2) years.

5.

Model homes and model home parking lots are permitted as a temporary use in new subdivisions, provided a notice is continually posted in a prominent place in a livable area in the home and the owner signs an affidavit on a form approved by the Planning Services Director affirming compliance with all the regulations of this Section.

B.

Secondary uses: The following uses shall be permitted as secondary uses to dwelling units provided that none shall be a source of income to the owner or user of the principal family dwelling. No secondary uses may be located between the building line and the front property line.

1.

Cabana, pavilion, pergola, or roofed area.

2.

Meeting and/or social rooms in common areas only for the use of residents.

3.

Off-street parking and private garages in connection with any use permitted in this district.

4.

Communication equipment meeting the requirements of Chapter 7, Article XIII of the Grapevine Code of Ordinance.

5.

Sale of merchandise or goods, including but not limited to garage sales and yard sales, shall be limited to a maximum of once per quarter, for a period not to exceed three continuous days. For the purpose of this paragraph, the month of January shall constitute the first month of the first quarter.

6.

Private garages must be entered from the side or rear via a public alley or access easement. Said lots shall not have driveways on or within the front building setbacks.

C.

Limitation of uses:

1.

There shall be a separate platted lot of record for each brownstone dwelling unit.

2.

No more than three persons unrelated by blood or marriage may occupy residences within an "BR", Brownstone Residential District.

3.

Storage of mechanical or maintenance equipment incidental to any permitted or conditional use shall be screened in accordance with the provisions of Section 50, Alternate B or E, from any adjacent residential development or use.

4.

Public alleys shall not be located in the required rear yards. Whenever rear access or parking is provided, access shall be from a platted alley or easement. All alleys shall be dedicated at a minimum of 15 feet as a mutual access easement with a minimum 10 feet of pavement section. No single lot shall have more than a 7 1/2-foot easement located upon it, except that when it is necessary to exceed 7 ½-feet, lot depth shall be increased to accommodate the additional width of easement necessary for the alley.

5.

No Storage boxes or any other containers to be picked up or dropped off by curbside self-storage services, moving services and other similar services shall be placed within a public right-of-way or access easements. Storage containers to be picked up or dropped off by such services shall be visible from a public right-of-way or adjacent property for a period not exceeding 72 consecutive hours, and not more than two instances during any 30-day period.

D.

Plan requirements: No application for a building permit for construction of a principal building shall be approved unless:

1.

A plat, meeting all requirements of the City of Grapevine, has been approved by the city council and recorded in the official records of Tarrant County.

2.

A site plan, meeting the requirements of Section 47, has been approved.

3.

A landscape plan, meeting the requirements of Section 53, has been approved.

E.

Density requirements: The following density requirement shall apply:

1.

Maximum density: 8 dwelling units per gross acre.

2.

Minimum lot size: 3,000 square feet. No "BR" District shall be created on an area of less than one (1) acre in size.

3.

Minimum open space: All areas not devoted to buildings, structures or off-street parking area shall be devoted to grass, trees, gardens, shrubs or other suitable landscape material. In addition, all developments shall reserve open space in accordance with the provisions of Section 51.

4.

Maximum building coverage: 65 percent of the total lot area.

5.

Maximum impervious area: 80 percent of the total lot area.

6.

Minimum floor area: Every brownstone dwelling unit hereafter erected, constructed, reconstructed, or altered in this dwelling district shall have at least 1,200 square feet of floor area, excluding common corridors, basements, open and screened porches, and garages.

F.

Area regulations: The following minimum standards shall be required:

1.

Depth of front yard:

a.

Minimum: 10 feet.

b.

Maximum: 15 feet.

Where there is a conflict for those properties within the Transit District Overlay boundaries, the required front yard setbacks stated in Table 2: Thematic Street Space Standards, in Section 41 B, Transit District Overlay (TDO) shall control.

2.

Depth of rear yard:

a.

Minimum: 10 feet measured from the nearest edge of the public right-of-way or public or private access easement, with the exception that the face of a rear or side entry garage shall be set back no less than 18 feet from the edge of the right-of-way or alley pavement.

3.

No side yard width is required except for the following:

a.

15 feet shall be required for each end unit in a row of brownstones containing five or more units.

b.

The minimum distance between principal and secondary buildings, if detached, shall be 15 feet.

G.

Encroachment zone: Certain architectural features including building offsets, projections, roof eaves and overhangs, and stoops or porches may encroach up to 3-foot past the maximum front yard setback, side yard for end units and rear yard for all units regardless of location.

H.

Maximum height: The following maximum height regulations shall be observed:

1.

Principal structures: 3 living stories, 50 feet to the tallest point of the roof. The transit district overlay cannot be utilized to vary the maximum height requirement of this district.

Whenever a brownstone structure immediately abuts an existing single-family residential lot or use, a 20-foot landscaped buffer area is required between the uses.

I.

Off-street parking: Provisions for the parking of automobiles shall be allowed as a secondary use to any principal permitted use provided that such shall not be located on a required front yard or side yard. Off-street parking areas shall be landscaped in accordance with Section 53. Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Sections 56 and 58 of this ordinance and other applicable ordinances of the city.

J.

Landscaping requirements:

1.

Landscaping shall be required in accordance with Section 53 of this ordinance.

K.

Design requirements: The following minimum design requirements shall be provided in the "BR", Brownstone Residential District.

1.

Front-entry garages are prohibited.

2.

Individual window air conditioning units are prohibited. Central air conditioning units, heat pumps and similar mechanical equipment, when located outside, shall be landscaped and screened from view in accordance with the provisions of Section 50.

3.

The maximum length of any cluster of brownstones units shall not exceed 200 linear feet.

4.

Buildings shall be designed to prevent the appearance of straight, unbroken lines in their horizontal and vertical surface. There shall be no more than two continuously attached brownstone buildings without a break in the horizontal and vertical elevations of at least 3-feet.

5.

No building shall be located closer than 10-feet to the edge of an off-street parking, vehicular use, or storage area.

6.

The minimum distance between any two unattached principal buildings shall be determined by the building and fire codes.

7.

Off-street parking areas shall not be closer than 10-feet to any adjacent property line. Whenever an off-street parking, vehicular use or storage area is within 20 feet of any adjacent residentially zoned district, the parking area shall be physically screened by a fence or wall at least 6-feet high. All fencing shall be finished on both sides.

8.

Parking of recreational vehicles, trailers, motor homes, boats, towed trailers and similar vehicular equipment are prohibited.

9.

Private streets are prohibited.

10.

Sidewalks shall be provided along public streets within a brownstone development upon which a brownstone has frontage and shall be a minimum of 4-feet in width.

a.

Brownstones located within the transit district overlay shall comply with minimum sidewalk, walkway, and unobstructed path width as stipulated in Table 2. Thematic Street Space Standards in Section 41.B., Transit District Overlay of this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2025-067, § 6, 9-16-25)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2025-067, § 6, adopted Sept. 16, 2025, repealed the former § 34, and enacted a new § 34 as set out herein. The former § 34 pertained to PRD-6 Planned Residential Low Density District Regulations and derived from Ord. No. 84-16, § 2(D), adopted April 9, 1984; Ord. No. 85-22, § 3(B), adopted May 21, 1985; Ord. No. 2023-094, § 29, adopted Nov. 21, 2023; and Ord. No. 2024-111, § 35, adopted Dec. 17, 2024.