Permitted and Prohibited Uses in the A(A): Agricultural District of Dallas

The A(A): Agricultural District in the City of Dallas is primarily reserved for farming, ranching, and gardening in areas where urban services are not yet available. While it allows for normal agricultural activities and single-family dwellings, it strictly requires a minimum lot area of three acres for residential use. The City of Dallas expressly prohibits all commercial lodging, office, and general business service uses in this district, and most intensive utility or industrial activities require a Specific Use Permit (SUP) [Section 51A-4.111].

Allowed Uses in the A(A): Agricultural District

Uses in the A(A): Agricultural District of Dallas are categorized by those permitted "by right," those requiring a Specific Use Permit (SUP), and those requiring Residential Adjacency Review (RAR).

Agricultural and Residential Uses

Animal Production: Permitted by right, but the City of Dallas requires a minimum of three acres for this operation [Section 51A-4.111(2)(A); Section 51A-4.201(1)].
Commercial Stable: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(A)].
Crop Production: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(A)].
Single Family: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(I)].
Handicapped Group Dwelling Unit: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(I)].
College Dormitory, Fraternity, or Sorority House: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(I)].

Institutional and Community Service Uses

Child or Adult Care Facility: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(D)].
Church: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(D)].
College, University, or Seminary: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(D)].
Convent or Monastery: Permitted by right [Section 51A-4.111(2)(D)].
Public School (Other than Charter): Permitted with Residential Adjacency Review (RAR) [Section 51A-4.111(2)(D)].

Uses Requiring a Specific Use Permit (SUP)

The following uses may only be conducted in the A(A): Agricultural District of Dallas if an SUP is granted by the City Council:

Industrial: Gas drilling and production, mining, organic compost recycling, and temporary concrete or asphalt batching plants [Section 51A-4.111(2)(C)].
Institutional: Cemetery or mausoleum, community service center, convalescent and nursing homes, foster home, hospital, and library/art gallery/museum [Section 51A-4.111(2)(D)].
Recreation: Country club with private membership and private recreation center/club/area [Section 51A-4.111(2)(H)].
Retail/Personal Service: Animal shelter or clinic with outside run, commercial amusement (outside), and drive-in theater [Section 51A-4.111(2)(J)].
Utility/Public Service: Radio/TV transmitting station, electrical substation, police/fire station, radio/microwave tower, sanitary landfill, and sewage or water treatment plants [Section 51A-4.111(2)(L)].
Wholesale/Storage: Livestock auction pens or sheds and sand/gravel/earth sales and storage [Section 51A-4.111(2)(M)].

Prohibited Uses in the A(A): Agricultural District

The Dallas Development Code explicitly lists several categories and specific uses that are not allowed in the A(A): Agricultural District.

Prohibited Main Use Categories

Commercial and Business Service Uses: No uses in this category are permitted [Section 51A-4.111(2)(B)].
Lodging Uses: All commercial lodging (e.g., hotels/motels) is prohibited [Section 51A-4.111(2)(E)].
Office Uses: No office uses are permitted [Section 51A-4.111(2)(G)].

Prohibited Accessory Uses

While accessory uses are generally allowed if incidental to a main use, the following are specifically prohibited in the Dallas A(A) designation:

Accessory community center (private).
Accessory outside display of merchandise.
Accessory outside sales.
Accessory pathological waste incinerator [Section 51A-4.111(3)(A)].

Technical Development Standards

The City of Dallas enforces strict dimensional requirements for the A(A): Agricultural District to ensure the preservation of open space and agricultural character.

Standard	Requirement in A(A) District
Minimum Front Yard	50 feet [Section 51A-4.111(4)(A)]
Minimum Side Yard	20 feet [Section 51A-4.111(4)(B)(i)]
Minimum Rear Yard (Residential)	50 feet [Section 51A-4.111(4)(B)(ii)]
Minimum Rear Yard (Other)	10 feet [Section 51A-4.111(4)(B)(ii)]
Maximum Structure Height	24 feet [Section 51A-4.111(4)(E)]
Maximum Lot Coverage (Residential)	10 percent [Section 51A-4.111(4)(F)]
Maximum Lot Coverage (Non-Residential)	25 percent [Section 51A-4.111(4)(F)]
Minimum Lot Area	3 acres [Section 51A-4.111(4)(G)]

Sections Cited

Section 51A-1.107: Special Exceptions for the Handicapped
Section 51A-4.111: Agricultural [A(A)] District
Section 51A-4.201: Agricultural Uses
Section 51A-4.204: Institutional and Community Service Uses
Section 51A-4.209: Residential Uses