Zoning Ordinance

What Zoning Is And How It Affects You

Zoning determines:

• The minimum size of a lot in different parts of the city lot size, Lot width, and Lot depth
• How you can use a lot in different parts of the City live on your lot, live and have a business on the lot, or just have a business on your lot. It also determines what type of a house you can build on your lot single-family, duplex, or multi-family or what type of a business you can have on your lot.
• The size and height of a building you can build on a lot 
• The placement of a building on a lot setbacks (front yard, back yard, side yard)
• Amount and type of landscape required on a lot
• The types of signs allowed on a lot
• The amount of parking required on the lot and the placement of parking on a lot

Why The Zoning Code Was Updated

A city's zoning code can either promote or slow the growth and development of a town. A zoning code that is easy to read and use, and has regulations that are aligned with the City's comprehensive plan, supported by its residents, and are responsive to the market helps a city attract higher quality developments and assists in economic development efforts.

The City of Palestine's zoning code was first created in 1968, and regulates development in the city limits of Palestine and a one-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction border around the city. In the fall of 2016, the city contracted with Stantec Consulting Services to update the zoning code to make it more user-friendly, remove legalese and jargon, align the regulations with the development patterns supported by the market, and align the regulations with the City's comprehensive plan as required by Texas law.