City of Irving Asks Governor to Veto Bill Allowing Multifamily Development in Most City Zoning Districts Without Going Through a Zoning Case

Senate Bill 840 passed its final legislative hurdle last Monday when changes made to the bill in the House were accepted by the Senate. As passed, the legislation allows multifamily development in almost any city zoning district except single-family and or heavy industrial. Construction would be allowed without going through a zoning case or requiring any notification to adjacent properties.

As originally filed, SB 840 applied to all cities of more than 60,000 people in counties of more than 420,000 people. It was amended in the Texas Senate to apply only to cities of 150,000 or more, allowing small and medium-sized cities to continue to strictly regulate multifamily construction.

Governor Abbott has less than three weeks to sign the bill, allow it to become law without his signature, or veto it. Mayor Rick Stopfer sent a letter to the governor on Monday, June 2 asking that he veto the bill. Mayor Stopfer cited the already high percentage of multifamily housing in Irving and argued that many areas of the city did not have drainage or street infrastructure capable of handling the density allowed by SB 840.

To comment on this legislation, contact the Office of the Texas Governor at (512) 463-2000, via email or online.