Tyler City Council adopts zoning changes

TYLER — On Wednesday, Dec. 13, the City Council approved changes to the Unified Development Code. Some of the updates to the UDC affect new tobacco, vape and smoke stores as well as bail bonds, auto repair, tire shops and self-storage businesses in the Downtown Business, Arts and Culture District). “We’re committed to reviewing City ordinances regularly to ensure that they align with development practices and the changing needs of our community,” said Planning Director Kyle Kingma. Now, as part of the UDC, new tobacco, vape and smoke stores opening in the City will have to be located 300 feet from sensitive land uses such as schools, child care centers, hospitals, churches and City parks. The proposal will also establish a 1,000-foot spacing requirement from other vape and smoke shops. These types of stores will also now be able to operate in areas of Tyler in industrial zoning.

As the downtown core redevelops, the DBAC zoning was created to encourage compatible land uses to create a dense residential, retail, and entertainment district. The updates to the UDC will not allow new auto repair, self-storage facilities, tire sales and tobacco stores to open in the area. New bail bonds businesses will have to obtain a Special Use Permit to be located in the DBAC. The changes to the UDC will not affect existing establishments and will only apply to new establishments.

The recommendations were presented and approved by the UDC Review Committee, the Mainstreet Board, and the Developer’s Round Table.