Effective on: 1/1/1901

Figure 7.1.102 Illustrative Floor Area Ratio Calculation
EXAMPLE The example below is 80,000 square feet of floor area, located on a parcel with a 12 acre base site area. Its FAR is: 80,000 square feet Floor Area DIVIDED BY 522,720 square feet of Base Site Area (12 acres TIMES 43,560 square feet per acre) EQUALS 0.153 FAR

Effective on: 1/1/1901

1. Horizontal square footage is measured from the outside face of all exterior walls;
2. Cellars; basements; penthouses; attics; covered or uncovered porches, terraces, or breezeways; balconies and decks; enclosed storage or mechanical areas; mezzanines; and similar structures shall be included as GFA wherever at least seven feet are provided between the finished floor and the ceiling;
3. No deduction shall apply for horizontal areas void of actual floor space (e.g., elevator shafts and stairwells); and
4. Protected upper floors of open atriums and foyers shall not be included.

Effective on: 1/1/1901

Effective on: 1/1/1901

1. To calculate lot coverage;
2. To calculate floor area ratio; and
3. To determine compliance with minimum lot area requirements, such as in the design of new subdivision.

Figure 7.1.105 Illustrative Lot Area Calculation
Example: The example at right is a rectangular lot. 65 ft. wide x 125 ft. deep = 8,125 sq. ft. lot area

Effective on: 1/1/1901

Figure 7.1.106 Lot Coverage Ratio Illustration

Effective on: 1/1/1901

Figure 7.1.107A Measurement of Lot Width; Standard Lots

2. Corner Lots. Lot width is measured from the interior side lot line to the side street lot line along the front building line, minus the difference between the street yard setback and the side yard setback (see Figure 7.1.107B, Measurement of Lot Width; Corner Lots).

Figure 7.1.107B Measurement of Lot Width; Corner Lots

3. Irregular Lots. Lot width is the distance from one side lot line to the opposite side lot line along the tangent of the curve representing the front building line (see Figure 7.1.107C, Measurement of Lot Width; Irregular Lots). Generally, the front building line is the front setback line. However, if an alternative front building line has been established on the plat of a subdivision that is more distant than the front setback line from the front property line, then the lot width is measured at the alternative front building line.

Figure 7.1.107C Measurement of Lot Width; Irregular Lots

Effective on: 1/1/1901

Figure 7.1.108A Illustrative Measurement of Open Space Ratio (OSR)
EXAMPLE 6 acres of Common Open Space DIVIDED BY 12 acre Area of Parcel Proposed for Development EQUALS 50% OSR
Total Area of Parcel Proposed for Development: 12 acres

Figure 7.1.108B Illustrative Measurement of Landscape Surface Ratio (OSR)
EXAMPLE 5 acres of Landscape Surface Area DIVIDED BY 12 acre Area of Parcel Proposed for Development EQUALS 41.7% LSR
Total Area of Parcel Proposed for Development: 12 acres

Effective on: 1/1/1901

Figure 7.1.109A Setbacks on Standard Lots

2. Odd-Shaped Lots. Setbacks are measured from lot lines towards the center of the lot, as follows, and as depicted in Figure 7.1.109B, Setbacks on Odd-Shaped Lots:
   1. Generally, setbacks are measured as set out in Subsection A., above.
   2. Where lot lines are curvilinear, setbacks shall be measured as offsets from the curvilinear lot line.
   3. Where there are multiple rear lot lines, the rear setback is measured as offsets from the multiple rear lot lines.
   4. Where there is no rear lot line, the rear setback shall be measured as a radial distance from the intersection of side lot lines at the rear of the lot.
   5. Where the front lot line is an arc, the street side setback area is defined as the area behind the front building line along the arc of the street.

Figure 7.1.109B Setbacks on Odd-Shaped Lots

Effective on: 1/1/1901

Figure 7.1.110A Sign Area

The sign area of the following signs is measured as A x B, or in the case of a round sign, the circumference measured by the sign radii.

2. Maximum Permitted Sign Area. The maximum permitted sign area for a premises is set out as a numerical limit or as a function of the frontage of the premises on a street or private street. For properties with frontage on more than one street or private street, the total frontage shall be calculated as the longest frontage plus one-half the length of all additional frontages.
3. Double-Faces. For projecting or double-faced signs (see Figure 7.1.110B, Sign Area, Illustration of Double-Faced Signs, below), only one display face is measured in computing sign area which the sign faces are parallel, or where the interior angle formed by the faces is 60 degrees or less, provided that the signs are mounted on the same structure. If the two faces of a double-faced sign are of unequal area, the area of the sign shall be taken as the area of the larger face.

Figure 7.1.110B Sign Area, Illustration of Double-Faced Signs

Effective on: 1/1/1901

Effective on: 1/1/1901

Figure 7.1.112 Sign Clearance

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Figure 7.1.113 Monument Sign Height

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Figure 7.1.114 Items of Information

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1. Offsite Consumption means the retail sale of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption.
2. Onsite Consumption means the retail sale of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. High-velocity flows;
2. Active processes of erosion, sediment transport, and deposition; and
3. Unpredictable flow paths.

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1. Furnishes, in one or more facilities, food and shelter to four or more persons who are unrelated to the proprietor of the establishment;
2. Provides:
   1. Personal care services; or
   2. Administration of medication by a person licensed or otherwise authorized in this State to administer the medication; and
3. May provide assistance with or supervision of the administration of medication.

See Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 247.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Bar. An establishment where the primary purpose is to sell alcohol beverages for on-premise consumption; or
2. Nightclub. An establishment where the consumption of alcoholic beverages (sold at the facility or brought in by patrons) is combined with dancing and / or musical entertainment.

The term "bar or nightclub" is sometimes also called a cocktail lounge, tavern, saloon, cantina, etc. The term "bar or nightclub" does not mean a restaurant, as the sale of food is an accessory use to the primary purposes described above.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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The term building may also mean an industrialized building which is a nonresidential structure that is constructed off-site as one or more modular components (including the installation of plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems), bearing an approved decal or insignia, and then transported to the site to be affixed to a permanent foundation. To approve a building permit for an industrialized building, the Code Official shall review the designs, plans, and specifications, whereby each page must be stamped by the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council (which is the state-designated authority that ensures that all preconfigured modular components are in compliance with state-mandated building codes). On-site building code inspections are to be made by the state-designated authority and witnessed by the Code Official.

See Tex. Occ. Code §1202, Industrialized Housing and Buildings.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2021-29, 12/20/2021)

Effective on: 12/20/2021

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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See Texas Human Resources Code, Chapter 42.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

See Texas Human Resources Code, Chapter 42.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. General Residential Operation means a child-care facility that provides care for more than 12 children for 24 hours a day, including facilities known as children's homes, halfway houses, residential treatment centers, emergency shelters, and therapeutic camps.
2. Child-Placing Agency means a person, including an organization, other than the natural parents or guardian of a child who plans for the placement of or places a child in a child-care facility, agency foster home, agency foster group home, or adoptive home.
3. Foster Group Home means a child-care facility that provides care for 7 to 12 children for 24 hours a day.
4. Foster Home means a child-care facility that provides care for not more than six children for 24 hours a day.
5. Agency Foster Group Home means a facility that provides care for seven to 12 children for 24 hours a day, is used only by a licensed child-placing agency, and meets department standards.
6. Agency Foster Home means a facility that provides care for not more than six children for 24 hours a day, is used only by a licensed child-placing agency, and meets department standards.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

See Texas Human Resources Code, Chapter 42.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Before or After-School Programs. Provides care before or after, or before and after, the customary school day and during school holidays, for at least two hours a day, three days a week, to children who attend pre-kindergarten through grade six.
2. School-Age Programs. Provides supervision, along with recreation or skills instruction or training, and may provide transportation, before or after the customary school day, for at least two hours a day, three days a week, to children attending pre-kindergarten through grade six. A school-age program may also operate during school holidays, the summer period, or any other time when school is not in session.

See Texas Human Resources Code, Chapter 42.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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1. Bowling alleys and pool rooms;
2. Movie theaters and live theaters;
3. Indoor skating rinks (ice or roller);
4. Indoor velodromes;
5. Video arcades; and
6. Local area network computer gaming centers (not including "internet cafes / sweepstakes").

The phrase "commercial amusement, indoor" does not mean "sexually-oriented businesses."

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Amusement or water parks;
2. Batting cages;
3. Fairgrounds;
4. Miniature golf establishments;
5. Golf course / club;
6. Golf driving ranges; and
7. Stadiums / arenas / drive-in theaters.

The phrase "commercial amusement, outdoor" does not mean "sexually-oriented businesses."

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2021-19, 09/20/2021)

Effective on: 9/20/2021

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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1. An undivided interest in common in real property, in an interest or interests in real property, or in any combination thereof, together with
2. A separate interest in real property, in an interest or interests in real property, or in any combination thereof.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2024-21, 12/16/2024)

Effective on: 12/16/2024

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2018-10, 07/16/2018)

Effective on: 7/16/2018

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

For the property owner, The Richmond Historic Commission has authority to administer design guidelines.

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1. Drive up to a window or station; or
2. Drive through the building for purchases.

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Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. An unpierced wall extending from foundation to roof ("side-by-side" duplex); or
2. A ceiling / floor that extends from exterior wall to exterior wall, pierced only by a stairway that is not inside of either dwelling unit ("over-under" duplex).

Industrialized duplex housing shall be required to have similar exterior siding, roofing, roofing pitch, foundation fascia, fenestration, and a value equal to or greater than the median taxable value for each duplex dwelling unit located within 500 feet of the lot in on which the industrialized housing is proposed to be located, as determined by the most recent certified tax appraisal roll for the county.

See Tex. Occ. Code §1202, Industrialized Housing and Buildings.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

The term dwelling unit may also means industrialized housing which is designed for the residential occupancy of one or more families, constructed off-site as one or more modular components (including the installation of plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems), bearing an approved decal or insignia, and then transported to the site to be affixed to a permanent foundation. To approve a building permit for industrialized housing, the Code Official shall review the designs, plans, and specifications, whereby each page must be stamped by the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council (which is the state-designated authority that ensures that all preconfigured modular components are in compliance with state-mandated building codes). On-site building code inspections are to be made by the state-designated authority and witnessed by the Code Official.

See Tex. Occ. Code §1202, Industrialized Housing and Buildings.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Generally:
   1. A building or structure, or part thereof, that is located:
      1. Between a lot line and the nearest required setback line for the building or structure; or
      2. In an easement which does not allow for the building or structure; or
   2. A part of a building or structure that crosses a lot line:
      1. Into another lot under separate ownership; or
      2. Onto a right-of-way.
2. As referred to in Division 4.2.200, Floodplain Management and Flood Damage Prevention, an addition to or change to the physical condition of a specified type of flood hazard area that results in the blockage, diversion or displacement of floodwaters.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2021-29, 12/20/2021)

Effective on: 12/20/2021

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. The overflow of waters; and/or
2. The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.

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The phrase "golf course / club" subsumes the uses "recreation / personal fitness, indoor," and "recreation / personal fitness, outdoor," when those are uses are present and incorporated into an overall golf course / club facility.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. The horizontal square footage is measured from the outside face of all exterior walls;
2. Penthouses, attics, covered or uncovered porches, balconies and decks, enclosed storage or mechanical areas, mezzanines, and similar structures shall be included as GFA wherever at least seven feet are provided between the finished floor and the ceiling; and
3. No deduction shall apply for horizontal areas void of actual floor space (for example, elevator shafts and stairwells). The protected upper floors of open atriums and foyers shall not be included.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Any use that is classified as a "high hazard" occupancy by the City; or
2. Primary processing or manufacturing or repair operations not specifically defined elsewhere in this Section, which involve:
   1. An outside storage area that is larger than the area of the first floor of buildings on the same lot;
   2. A material risk of environmental contamination, explosion, or fire;
   3. Perceptible ground vibration;
   4. Excessive noise or dust;
   5. Emission of objectionable odors; or
   6. More than 12 trips by semi-trailer trucks per day; or
3. Processing of minerals (except precious and semi-precious stone cutting for jewelry or precision instruments such as lasers or watches), ores, or fossil fuels; or
4. Industries that are required to undergo New Source Review under the Federal Clean Air Act, or are subject to construction or operation permits pursuant to the Colorado Stationary Sources Program or Title V of the Federal Clean Air Act.
5. For illustrative purposes, heavy industrial uses include, but are not limited to::
   1. Coal cleaning plants with thermal dryers; coke oven batteries; carbon black plants (furnace process); petroleum refineries; petroleum storage and transfer units (except retail gasoline stations); and bulk fuel dealers;
   2. Facilities used in the primary or secondary production of metals (e.g., primary zinc, copper, or lead smelters; primary aluminum ore reduction plants; iron and steel mills; sintering plants; secondary metal production plants; and blacksmith shops);
   3. Portland cement plants (not temporary batch plants);
   4. Sawmills and pulp mills;
   5. Incinerators with the capacity to charge more than 250 tons of refuse per day;
   6. Lime plants; phosphate rock processing plants; sulfur recovery plants; and hydrofluoric, sulfuric, or nitric acid plants;
   7. Fossil fuel combustion (boilers or electricity generation) totaling more than 250 million BTUs per hour of heat input;
   8. Fabrication of building materials such as countertops, drywall, and cut stone;
   9. Fabrication of vehicles, manufacturing equipment, durable goods, or pre-fabricated homes or home components;
   10. Drycleaner processing plants that use PERC or comparable petrochemical solvents;
   11. Meat or seafood processing plants;
   12. Manufacture of glass products (e.g., window panes, bottles and jars), except hand-blown products;
   13. Manufacture of plastic products (except assembly of parts that are manufactured elsewhere);
   14. Plasma arc welding, cutting, gouging, surfacing, or spraying; gas welding (but not brazing); arc welding with equipment that is rated at more than 200 amps; TIG welding; and other heavy welding procedures (e.g., for structural steel, automotive body, or heavy equipment manufacture or repair);
   15. Hot mix asphalt plants; and
   16. Fossil fuel power plants, waste-to-energy plants, and biomass plants that produce more than 100 megawatts of electricity.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Permanent retail operations that are located outside of enclosed buildings, except nurseries;
2. Home centers;
3. Lumber and other building materials;
4. Lawn, garden equipment, and related supplies stores;
5. Warehouse clubs and super stores; and
6. Manufactured home sales.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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1. For floodplain management purposes, any structure that is:
   1. Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;
   2. Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
   3. Individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of Interior; or
   4. Individually listed on a local inventory or historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either:
      1. By an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior or;
      2. Directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.
2. For all other purposes, any structure that contributes to the historic value of a heritage property or landmark property as further defined in Ord. No. 2012-06, Historic District, which may be amended from time to time.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Such use is incidental and accessory to the use of the building as a residence by the person engaged in the home business and up to three employees who do not live in the building; and
2. Such use does not involve any of the following:
   1. Sale of goods to customers on the premises;
   2. Opening of the home to the public for the sale of goods or services without an invitation or appointment;
   3. Mechanical equipment that is not normally associated with domestic household use; or
   4. Modification of the exterior of the home.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Such use is incidental and accessory to the use of the building as a residence by the person engaged in the home occupation; and

2. Such use does not involve any of the following:

   1. Sale of goods to customers on the premises;

   2. Opening of the home to the public for the sale of goods or services without an invitation or appointment;

   3. Mechanical equipment that is not normally associated with domestic household use;

   4. Modification of the exterior of the home; or

   5. Outside storage of equipment used for business purposes.

The phrase "home occupation" does not include any type of "child-care facility" as defined by these regulations.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2024-09, 09/16/2024)

Effective on: 9/16/2024

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

See Tex. Occ. Code §1202, Industrialized Housing and Buildings.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Includes the structure's plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems and is:
   1. designed for the occupancy of one or more families;
   2. constructed in one or more modules or constructed using one or more modular components built at a location other than the permanent site; and
   3. designed to be used as a permanent residential structure when the module or the modular component is transported to the permanent site and erected or installed on a permanent foundation system.
2. Industrial housing does not include:
   1. a residential structure that exceeds three stories or 49 feet in height;
   2. housing constructed of a sectional or panelized system that does not use a modular component; or
   3. a ready-built home constructed in a manner in which the entire living area is contained in a single unit or section at a temporary location for the purpose of selling and moving the home to another location.

See Tex. Occ. Code §1202, Industrialized Housing and Buildings.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Any drain or conveyance, whether on the surface or subsurface, which allows an illegal discharge to enter the storm drain system including but not limited to any conveyances which allow any non-storm water discharge including sewage, process wastewater, and wash water to enter the storm drain system and any connections to the storm drain from indoor drains and sinks, regardless of whether said drain or connection had been previously allowed, permitted, or approved by an authorized enforcement agency; or
2. Any drain or conveyance connected from a commercial or industrial land use to the storm drain system which has not been documented in plans, maps, or equivalent records and approved by the City.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2021-29, 12/20/2021)

Effective on: 12/20/2021

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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1. Assembly or refurbishing of products, instruments, electronics, office and computing machines, and fixtures from pre-manufactured components;
2. Offices of general contractors, specialty subcontractors, or tradesmen which include:
   1. Bay door access to indoor storage of tools, parts, and materials;
   2. Parking of commercial vehicles; or
   3. Outdoor storage areas that are smaller than the area of the first floor of the building that are used for storage of materials or vehicles that are less than 12 feet in height.
3. Communications facilities, except wireless telecommunications facilities;
4. Data centers, server farms, telephone exchange buildings, and telecom hotels;
5. Food production and packaging other than meat and seafood processing, restaurants, or produce packing that does not involve other processing;
6. Furniture making or refinishing;
7. Manufacture of textiles or apparel;
8. Screen printing of apparel;
9. Printing and publishing, except copy centers, and except printing presses that require a Texas Clean Air Act Permit or a Federal Clean Air Act Permit (these are heavy industry);
10. Disassembly of consumer electronics and / or appliances into component parts, where all operations and storage are within an enclosed building;
11. Manufacture or compounding of pharmaceutical products, dietary supplements, health and beauty products, and herbal products; and
12. Packaging of consumer products.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2019-16, 04/15/2019)

Effective on: 4/15/2019

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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1. "Front Lot Line" means the lot line which abuts a public street, private street, or easement of access. The lot owner shall designate the front lot line for any corner lot or through lot and such designation may not be changed after the principal building is erected.
2. "Rear Lot Line" means:
   1. For a quadrangular lot, the lot line which is not tangent to any point on the front lot line.
   2. For a polygonal or irregularly shaped lot, the course, whether straight or curved, along the lot line, the center point of which is most remote, in linear distance, from the center point of the front lot line.
   3. For a triangular lot, the junction point of the two side lines which point shall be treated as the rear lot line.
3. "Side Lot Line" means the lot lines that run generally perpendicular or at angles to the street or the front and rear lot lines.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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1. Means a structure:
   1. Constructed on or after June 15, 1976, according to the rules of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development;
   2. Built on a permanent chassis;
   3. Designed for use as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when the structure is connected to the required utilities;
   4. Transportable in one or more sections; and
   5. In the traveling mode, at least eight body feet in width or at least 40 body feet in length or, when erected on site, at least 320 square feet;
2. A mobile home; and
3. Includes the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems of the home; and
4. Does not include a recreational vehicle as defined by 24 C.F.R. Section 3282.8(g).

See Tex. Occ. Code §1201, Manufactured Housing.

(Ord. No. 2018-18, 10/15/2018)

Effective on: 10/15/2018

1. Manufactured Home Lot. A part of a parcel within a manufactured home subdivision which is owned in fee simple by the owner of the property; or
2. Manufactured Home Space. A undivided space within a manufactured home park which is established for identification purposes, used to calculate the minimum requirements as set out in this UDC, and is under common ownership.

This term does not apply to manufactured homes that are located on lots or parcels not associated with a manufactured home park or subdivision.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2018-18, 10/15/2018)

Effective on: 10/15/2018

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2021-19, 09/20/2021)

Effective on: 9/20/2021

(Ord. No. 2021-19, 09/20/2021)

Effective on: 9/20/2021

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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(Ord. No. 2018-10, 07/16/2018)

Effective on: 7/16/2018

The phrase "mining / extraction" does not mean "oil / gas operations."

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Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. means a structure:
   1. constructed before June 15, 1976;
   2. built on a permanent chassis;
   3. designed for use as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when the structure is connected to the required utilities;
   4. transportable in one or more sections; and
   5. in the traveling mode, at least eight body feet in width or at least 40 body feet in length or, when erected on site, at least 320 square feet; and
2. includes the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems of the home.

See Tex. Occ. Code §1201, Manufactured Housing.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2018-02, 07/16/2018)

Effective on: 7/16/2018

1. Model homes are used to display the layout and finishes of other dwelling units that are or will be available for sale within a subdivision or condominium development.
2. Sales offices can be located in a model home, condominium unit, or in a separate modular unit located on-site in the subdivision or condominium development.

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Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Are accessed by from interior elevators or hallways, or from individual exterior entrances (e.g., an apartment complex);
2. Are separated by interior walls and/or floors; and
3. Are intended to be rented, leased, or owned as a condominium by a family.

The term multi-family does not include boarding houses, dormitories, fraternities, sororities, single-family attached, or overnight accommodations (e.g., hotels and motels).

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2018-10, 07/16/2018)

Effective on: 7/16/2018

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. For the purpose of determining flood insurance rates, structures for which the "start of construction" commenced on or after the effective date of an initial FIRM or after December 31, 1974, whichever is later, and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
2. For floodplain management purposes, "new construction" means structures for which the "start of construction" commenced on or after the effective date of a floodplain management regulation adopted by a community and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
3. For all other purposes, "new construction" means construction in a location where no buildings or structures existed at the time a permit is sought pursuant to this UDC, except where such construction is a modification or expansion of an existing building or structure into an additional land area.

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1. Furnishes, in one or more facilities, food and shelter to four or more persons who are unrelated to the proprietor of the establishment; and
2. Provides minor treatment under the direction and supervision of a physician licensed by the Texas Medical Board, or other services that meet some need beyond the basic provision of food, shelter, and laundry.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Accounting, auditing, and bookkeeping;
2. Administration of businesses (e.g., corporate headquarters);
3. Advertising and graphic design;
4. Architectural, engineering, geo-technical, urban planning, and surveying services;
5. Attorneys and court reporters;
6. Banks, mortgage companies, and financial services;
7. Call centers;
8. Computer programming;
9. Counseling services;
10. Data processing and word processing services;
11. Detective agencies;
12. Government offices;
13. Insurance;
14. Interior design;
15. Real estate sales;
16. Research and development that does not include on-site manufacturing;
17. Retail catalog, internet, and telephone order processing, but not warehousing; and
18. Virtual office services.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Medical doctors (e.g., physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians, gynecologists, radiologists, geriatricians, general and specialist surgeons, podiatrists, opthamologists, anesthesiologists, etc.) and nurses;
2. Dentists, endodontists, orthodontists, and periodontists;
3. Optometrists;
4. Midwives;
5. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists;
6. Chiropractors, licensed massage therapists, and acupuncturists;
7. Nutritionists and homeopaths;
8. Psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, and marriage and family therapists;
9. Physiatrists, physiotherapists, orthotists, prosthetists, recreational therapists, audiologists, respiratory therapists, rehabilitation counselors, prosthetic technicians, and personal care assistants; and
10. Other comparable health care professionals.

The phrase "medical office" includes the phrase "medical lab" to the extent necessary to carry out diagnostic services for the medical office's patients. The phrase "medical office" does not include the phrase "clinic."

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The phrase "oil / gas development" does not mean "mining / extraction."

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(Ord. No. 2021-19, 09/20/2021)

Effective on: 9/20/2021

1. Personal or business property or supplies, except passenger vehicles and light trucks stored in driveways, carports, or parking lots that are intended for overnight parking;
2. Business inventory for sale or lease, except nursery plants;
3. Raw materials or industrial inputs for processing;
4. Appliances, machinery, vehicles, or other items to be repaired;
5. Fuel stored in above-ground tanks;
6. Construction materials and construction equipment;
7. Landscape maintenance equipment; or
8. Recyclable materials.

The phrase "outdoor storage" is not intended to include "outdoor display of merchandise," nor does it include "junk yards," which is subject to the provisions of Ord. No. 66-11-4, Junk Yards.

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1. Lending money on the security of pledged goods; or
2. Purchasing goods on condition that the goods may be redeemed or repurchased by the seller for a fixed price within a fixed period.

See Texas Finance Code §371.003.

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1. Event Facilities;
2. Fraternal Organizations;
3. Meeting Halls; and
4. Places of Worship.

The phrase "place of public assembly" does not include the phrase "recreation / personal fitness, indoor" or "commercial amusement, indoor" or "school, private" or "school, public."

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1. Each existing or proposed building, structure, or improvement or proposed modification of the external configuration of the building, structure, or improvement involving a change of the building, structure, or improvement;
2. Each easement and right-of-way within or abutting the boundary of the surveyed property; and
3. The dimensions of each street, sidewalk, alley, square, park, or other part of the property intended to be dedicated to public use or for the use of purchasers or owners of lots fronting on or adjacent to the street, sidewalk, alley, square, park, or other part.

Development plats are authorized by Subchapter B of Chapter 212 of the Tex. Local Gov't Code.

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See Tex. Local Gov’t Code §212.014, et. seq.

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1. Amending plats;
2. Final plats;
3. Preliminary plats;
4. Short form final plats; and
5. Re-plats.

See also development plat.

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1. Paints, varnishes, and solvents;
2. Oil and other automotive fluids;
3. non-hazardous liquid and solid and yard wastes;
4. Refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter, or other discarded or abandoned objects and accumulations, so that same may cause or contribute to pollution;
5. Floatables;
6. Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers;
7. Hazardous substances and wastes;
8. Sewage, fecal coliform and pathogens;
9. Dissolved and particulate metals;
10. Animal wastes;
11. Wastes and residues that result from constructing a building or structure; and
12. Noxious or offensive matter of any kind.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. A truck container, with or without the chassis attached to it;
2. A moving van;
3. A portable on demand (POD) moving container; or
4. A pre-assembled storage structure.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

The phrase "power generation, small scale (renewable / noncombustible)" does not mean "small wind energy system," which is permitted as an accessory structure as set out in Section 5.2.105, Solar Arrays and Small Wind Energy Systems (SWES).

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1. Each lot, unit, or home or business owner in a planned or cluster subdivision (or other described land area) is automatically a member;
2. Each lot, unit, or homeowner or business owner is automatically subject to a charge for a proportionate share of the expense of the organization's activities (e.g., maintaining open space, common open space, or other commonly owned property such as entrance monuments, private streets, and landscaping); and
3. The charge, if unpaid, becomes a lien against the property.

​Property owners' associations may also be called such things as "community associations," "condominium associations," "homeowner associations," "neighborhood associations," etc.

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1. Subdivision, neighborhood, or community recreation centers or athletic clubs;
2. Gymnasiums;
3. Indoor swimming pools; or
4. Indoor tennis, basketball, racquetball, handball or other play courts.

The phrase "recreation / personal fitness, indoor" does not include the phrase "commercial amusement, indoor," nor does it include indoor playgrounds that are accessory to restaurants. The phrase "recreation / personal fitness, indoor" is subsumed by the phrases "amusement or water park" when such facilities include indoor recreation activities.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Jogging, cycling, tot-lots, fitness trails, playing fields, playgrounds, outdoor swimming pools, and tennis courts;
2. Arboretums, wildlife sanctuaries, forests, and other natural areas which may be used for walking or hiking; or
3. Other passive recreation-oriented areas, including picnic areas and community garden plots.

The phrase "recreation / personal fitness, outdoor" does not include "commercial amusement, outdoor" or "shooting range, outdoor."

Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2018-02, 07/16/2018)

Effective on: 7/16/2018

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. The complete demolition of a principal building, followed by the construction of a new building; or
2. The destruction of a principal building to an extent that is equal to or greater than 50 percent of the Fort Bend County Appraisal District value, followed by reconstruction and repurposing of the building for a type of use for which the original building was not designed; or
3. Expansion of a principal building by more than 50 percent of its gross floor area.

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Restaurants that include a "drive-in, drive-through facility" are limited to those areas where a drive-in, drive-through is a permitted use.

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1. Branch banking and check cashing;
2. Clothing, clothing accessory, and jewelry stores;
3. Computer and small appliance repair;
4. Copy centers, parcel service drop-off locations, and mailbox services;
5. Electronics and appliance stores;
6. Florist, card, and gift shops;
7. Food and beverage stores (but not alcohol beverage sales);
8. Furniture and home furnishings stores;
9. General merchandise stores;
10. Hair and nail salons;
11. Hardware stores, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, lighting stores;
12. Health and personal care stores;
13. Laundromat, retail dry cleaning, tailoring, shoe repair, and clothes restoration;
14. Miscellaneous store retailers;
15. Music, dance, martial arts, yoga, and other similar instruction;
16. Paint and wallpaper stores;
17. Pet stores (not including animal boarding and veterinarian services, small animal);
18. Second-hand stores and pawn shops;
19. Sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores;
20. Tattoo parlors;
21. Tanning facilities (see Texas Health and Safety Code § 145.002) and day spas; and
22. Tutoring.

"Retail sales and services" that include a "drive-in, drive-through facility" are limited to those areas where a drive-in, drive-through is a permitted use.

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Figure Flat Roof

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(Ord. No. 2018-02, 07/16/2018)

Effective on: 7/16/2018

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Early Learning Centers (e.g., pre-schools) or Elementary School:
   1. A facility which provides daily care with educational services for children not yet attending elementary school (i.e., kindergarten); or
   2. A school that provides general full-time educational curriculum for grades one through five, and which may include a kindergarten.
2. Middle School. A middle school means a school that provides general full-time educational curriculum for grades six through eight.
3. High School. A high school means a school that provides general full-time educational curriculum for grades nine through 12.
4. Boarding School. Boarding school means an elementary or secondary school at which some or all of the pupils receive board and lodging during the school term.
5. Special Education Facilities.

The term "private school" does not include schools which focus on specialty instruction (e.g., dancing, music, beauty, swimming, etc.).

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1. Pre-Kindergarten means a school in which children are enrolled in a structured educational program prior to kindergarten. Pre-Kindergarten does not mean "child-care facility, day-care."
2. Elementary School means a school that teaches students from kindergarten through grade 5.
3. Middle school means a school that teaches students in grade 6.
4. Junior High School means a school that teaches students from grades 7 to 8.
5. High School means a school that teaches students from grades 9 to 12.

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1. A woody plant of less size than an understory tree, and usually with several stems from the same root;
2. Perennial plants that reach at least three feet in height; and
3. Ornamental grasses that reach at least three feet in height.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Along Streets. Provides pedestrian connections along, parallel to, and within the right-of-way of a public or private street or an abutting easement.
2. Access to Lots. Provides pedestrian connections from the right-of-way to the principal building.
3. Access Around Buildings. Provides pedestrian connections to the main entrance.

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1. Is a structure or any part thereof; or is attached to, painted on, or in any other manner represented on a building or other structure; or is displayed in a building window in a manner that is discernible from public rights-of-way or abutting property; and
2. Is used to display noncommercial information; or announce; or direct attention; or advertise.

For the purpose of these interim regulations, the following definitions shall apply to signs and sign elements, unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.

1. Abandoned Sign. An abandoned sign is a sign and sign structure that advertises for a business, person, or activity that has ceased to operate on the premises on which the sign or sign structure is located.
2. A-Frame Sign. A stationery outdoor sign with two faces attached at one surface on each face to form a triangle with one side parallel to the grade, which type sign is often used to advertise fuel prices.
3. Advertising Sign. An outdoor structure, object, display, lighting device, figure, painting, drawing, message, pictorial, picture, plaque, poster, billboard, or other thing which is used to advertise, identify, display, or attract attention to an object, person, institution, organization, business, product, service, event, or location by any means including words, letters, figures, designs, symbols, fixtures, colors, illumination, or projected images.
4. A Vera Ge Grade. The grade of the finished ground level at the midpoint of each exterior surface of a sign, or a structure, in the event that the sign is attached to the structure.
5. Awning, Canopy, or Marquee Sign. A projecting sign attached to, hung from, or painted on a canopy or covered structure which extends beyond the building line or property line.
6. Back-To-Back Sign. A structure with two parallel signs with their faces oriented in opposite directions located not more than ten feet apart. A back-to-back sign shall constitute one off-premise sign.
7. Billboard. Any freestanding sign or a sign that is attached to or part of a building and is an off-premise sign.
8. City. The city of Richmond, Fort Bend County, Texas.
9. Community Service Sign. Any sign which solicits support for or advertises a nonprofit community use or social institution. Such signs may include but shall not be limited to seasonal holidays, such as Christmas or Easter, school activities, charitable programs, or religious activities.
10. Cultural Facilities. Establishments such as museums, art galleries, public libraries, botanical and zoological gardens, and theaters of the performing arts, which, although they may charge an admission fee, are essentially nonprofit and principally funded through public expenditures, grants, and donations. ERECT. To construct, build, raise, assemble, emplace, affix, attach, create, paint, draw or in any way bring into being or establish.
11. Floodway. The channel of a stream and adjacent land areas which are required to carry and discharge the flood waters and flood flows of any river or stream associated with the regulatory flood. Refer to floodway boundary and floodway maps which identify special flood hazard areas resulting from a scientific and engineering report entitled "The Flood Insurance Study for the City of Richmond, Texas."
12. Freestanding Sign. A sign which is not attached to or on the walls, face, or exterior of a building, except as provided in the definition of a standard roof sign.
13. Hanging Sign. A sign which is suspended over a sidewalk, street, or other public right-of-way. An overhanging sign may or may not be a projecting sign.
14. Historic Building or Structure. Any building or structure which is officially designated as historically or architecturally significant by a unit of local, state or federal government.
15. Home Occupation. Any non-illuminated name plate sign not exceeding one square foot in area.
16. Major Thoroughfare. Each street shown on the official city map adopted by the City Commission.
17. Official Sign. Any sign erected by or at the direction of any governmental body.
18. Off-Premise Sign. "Off-premise sign" means a sign displaying advertising copy that pertains to a business, person, organization, activity, event, place, service, or product not principally located or primarily manufactured or sold on the premises on which the sign is located.
19. On-Premise Sign. "On-premise sign" means a freestanding sign identifying or advertising a business, person, or activity, and installed and maintained on the same premises as the business, person, or activity.
20. Outdoor Advertising Sign. See advertising sign.
21. Political Sign. A temporary sign announcing or supporting political candidates or issues in connection with any national, state, or local election.
22. Portable Sign. Any sign, excluding A-frame signs, designed or constructed to be easily moved from one location to another, including signs mounted upon or designed to be mounted on a trailer, wheeled carrier, or other non-motorized mobile structure.
23. Premises. Any lot or unplatted tract, or any combination of contiguous lots or unplatted tracts, held under single ownership.
24. Projecting Sign. A sign affixed to any building, wall, roof, marquee, or other structural element which extends or projects more than 12 inches from the wall, roof, marquee, or other structural element.
25. Public Information Sign. Any sign which is intended to identify community, civic, or social events and is not any of the following signs: commercial, political, official, or real estate.
26. Real Estate Sign. A temporary sign displayed during and in connection with construction operations, pertaining to the lease or sale of a lot or building upon which placed and not exceeding 64 square feet, and pertaining to the sale of an addition or a subdivision, the area of which subdivision exceeds one acre of land for a period not to exceed two years.
27. Residential Name Plate Sign. A sign permitted for the sole purpose of identifying the inhabitant residing therein, the house name, or identifying the address of the house. The sign may contain no advertising of any kind and may not exceed two square feet in area.
28. Roof Sign. A sign attached to a roof extending more than three feet above the ridge line. SIGN. "Sign" means an outdoor structure, sign, display, light device, figure, painting, drawing, message, plaque, poster, billboard, or other thing that is designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform.
29. Sloping Roof Sign. A sign affixed to the wall, roof, marquee, or other structural element of any building, which does not project more than 12 inches from the wall, roof, marquee, or other structural element or extend more than three feet above the wall to which it is attached.
30. Temporary Sign. A sign not permanently affixed to a building, structure, or the ground.
31. Traffic Control Sign. A permitted sign for the purpose of identifying parking areas and directing the flow of traffic on private property.
32. Wall Sign. See sloping roof sign.

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Figure 7.300.2A Required Offsets

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(Ord. No. 2024-02, 01/22/2024)

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1. Two but not more than six dwelling units that are designed so that individual units have individual ground-floor access and are separated from each other by unpierced common walls from foundation to roof (e.g., side-by-side duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses); or
2. Two dwelling units that are designed so that individual units:
   1. May or may not have individual exterior doors, but provide no direct access between the first floor and second floor unit (access may be through a common interior foyer that provides access to both units or through separate exterior doors); and
   2. Are separated from each other by a floor (e.g., over-under duplexes).

The phrase single-family attached does not include multi-family.

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1. Located in individual buildings that are constructed on:
   1. Individual lots; or
   2. Land that is designated as a limited common element in a declaration of condominium;
2. Separated from each other by outside walls; and
3. Intended for the use of a single housekeeping unit.

The phrase "single-family, detached" does not include "duplexes," "triplexes," or "townhouses."

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1. Generally. a parcel of land or a contiguous combination thereof, where grading work is performed as a single, unified operation.
2. Historic Overlay District. For the purposes of the Historic Overlay District, a site is the location of a significant event, a prehistoric or historic occupation, or activity or a building or structure, whether standing, ruined, or vanished, where the location itself possesses historical, cultural or archeological value regardless of the value of any existing structure.

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1. For floodplain management purposes, includes substantial improvement and means:
   1. The date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition placement, or other improvement was within 180 days of the permit date.
   2. The actual start means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on a site, such as the pouring of slab or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of a manufactured home on a permanent foundation.
   3. Permanent construction does not include the land disturbing activity needed to prepare the land for development (e.g., clearing, grading and filling); nor does it include the installation of streets, sidewalks, and/or walkways; nor does it include excavation for basement, footings, piers or foundations or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory buildings, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the principal structure.
   4. For a substantial improvement, the actual start of construction means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.
2. For other purposes, that a building permit or other written permit required to be issued by the City has been issued, and authorized work has commenced under such permit. This is recognizable upon an inspection of the property and which work is of a nature and character that reflects a good faith intention to continue the construction until completion, such as the clearing of rights-of-way, rough-grading of the roadway, the installation of a drainage system or stormwater management facilities, and the placement and active maintenance of erosion and sediment control measures. Control of weeds and cutting of vegetation, without more, do not qualify as "start of construction."

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1. For water quantity control, a system of vegetative, structural, and other measures that may control the volume and rate of storm water runoff which may be caused by land disturbing activities or activities upon the land; and
2. For water quality control, a system of vegetative, structural, and other measures that control adverse effects on water quality that may be caused by earth disturbing activities or activities upon the land.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Regional Arterial. Regional arterials which are defined herein as U.S. Highway 69, including frontage roads.
2. Principal Arterials. Principal arterials which are streets where:
   1. Mobility is primary;
   2. Access is secondary; and
   3. Connects (typically) to other arterials.
3. Minor Arterials. Minor arterials which are streets where:
   1. Mobility is primary;
   2. Access is secondary; and
   3. Connects principal arterials (typically) to lower classification roadways.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions; or
2. Any alteration of a "historic structure," provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation as a "historic structure."

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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Effective on: 10/1/2015

(Ord. No. 2021-29, 12/20/2021)

Effective on: 12/20/2021

1. Standard townhouses, which are generally two- or three-story buildings;
2. Weak link townhouses, which have a one-story and a two-story component in each unit, and are typically wider than standard townhomes; and
3. Roof deck townhouses, which provide a useable outdoor space on the roof of each unit.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Large Tree;
2. Small Tree; or
3. Evergreen Tree.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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1. Vehicle Wrecking and Salvage Yard. Vehicle wrecking and salvage yard means an outdoor place where a person stores three or more vehicles for the purpose of dismantling or wrecking the vehicles to remove parts for sale or for use in automotive repair or rebuilding.
2. Junkyard. Junkyard means a place where a business that owns junk, and is operated to store, buy, or sell junk, keeps all or part of the junk outdoors until the business disposes of the junk.

See Texas Transportation Code §396.001.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

1. Waste Transfer Station. A waste transfer station means the use of land or a facility, regardless of name or title, to unload waste of any kind or type from vehicles, and, with or without intermediate processing such as compaction, sorting, or shredding, subsequently re-load the waste onto other vehicles for delivery to another transfer site or solid waste facility.
2. Recycling Collection Facility. A recycling collection facility means a building or site that is used for the collection and processing of recyclable materials (e.g., waste paper, motor oil, scrap metal, polystyrene foam, porcelain, batteries, electronic components, textiles, plastics, discarded shoes, cardboard, and other discarded household materials), where the materials are sorted, temporarily stored, and then shipped in bulk to other locations for processing. The facility may also process recyclable materials for efficient shipment, or to an end-user's specifications, by such means as bailing, briquetting, compacting, flattening, grinding, crushing, mechanical sorting, shredding, or cleaning, but not melting down.

The phrase "waste transfer station / recycling collection facility" does not mean a wastewater treatment facility.

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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1. Selling goods, equipment, or food to retailers, generally in larger quantities than they are sold to final consumers, but often in smaller quantities than they are purchased from manufacturers; or
2. Selling specialized equipment and supplies to businesses, but not to the general public.

The term "wholesale" includes warehousing and / or showrooms. It does not include wholesale clubs that offer memberships to the general public, which are classified as "heavy retail / home center," nor "nurseries / greenhouses, wholesale."

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

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(Ord. No. 2020-30, 12/21/2020)

Effective on: 12/21/2020

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015

Effective on: 10/1/2015