Minor Deviations and Administrative Adjustments in the City of Fort Worth
The City of Fort Worth authorizes the Director of Planning and Development or the Zoning Administrator to approve minor adjustments to zoning standards, typically limited to the lesser of 10% of a specification or one linear foot/square foot. In specialized districts like Planned Developments and Mixed-Use areas, administrative staff can approve site plan revisions that do not exceed specific thresholds, such as a 5% increase in gross floor area or a 5% increase in building height. These provisions allow for flexible implementation of the City of Fort Worth zoning regulations without the necessity of a public hearing before the Board of Adjustment.
General Administrative Adjustment Authority
In the City of Fort Worth, the Director of Planning and Development (or a designated representative) has the specific authority to approve minor requests to vary from the established standards of the City of Fort Worth zoning ordinance. This authority is strictly limited by a "lesser of" rule to ensure that significant changes remain subject to the standard variance process.
| Type of Standard | Maximum Administrative Adjustment Permitted |
|---|---|
| General Zoning Specification | The lesser of 10% of the specification OR one linear foot/one square foot |
Requests that exceed these specific limits must be filed as a formal application for a variance with the City of Fort Worth Board of Adjustment [Section 3.400].
Site Plan Revisions in Planned Development (PD) Districts
The City of Worth Development Services Director may authorize minor changes to an approved site plan for a Planned Development ("PD") District. If a proposed change exceeds the following thresholds, it is considered a major change and requires a new application to the City of Fort Worth Zoning Commission [Section 4.303].
Thresholds for Minor vs. Major Changes (PD Districts)
The following table outlines the limits for what constitutes a "minor" change that the City of Fort Worth may approve administratively. Proposed changes reaching or exceeding these percentages are considered major.
| Feature of Development | Standard PD Districts (Max Allowed for Minor Change) | Mixed-Use/Form-Based Districts (Max Allowed for Minor Change) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Floor Area | < 5% increase | < 5% reduction or increase |
| Height of Structures | < 5% increase | < 5% reduction or increase |
| Setbacks from Property Lines | < 10% reduction | < 10% increase (Front Yard) |
| Ground Coverage | < 5% increase | < 5% reduction |
| Parking and Loading Ratio | < 5% reduction | < 5% increase |
Additionally, any change in the character of the development or any substantial changes in external effects (such as noise, heat, light, glare, or vibration) are automatically considered major changes in the City of Fort Worth and cannot be approved administratively [Section 4.303].
Administrative Modifications in Specialized Districts
The City of Fort Worth provides the Director or a designee with the authority to grant modifications to certain development standards in the Urban Residential ("UR") District and various Form-Based Districts (such as MU-1 and MU-2). These modifications are limited to a maximum of a 10% increase or decrease [Section 4.713, Section 4.1300, Section 4.1302].
The standards eligible for these 10% administrative adjustments in the City of Fort Worth include:
- Setbacks for additions to existing structures.
- Bufferyard width.
- Primary entrance separation.
- Fenestration (specifically in Mixed-Use Districts).
Minor Amendments to Conditional Use Permits (CUP)
A Conditional Use Permit ("CUP") in the City of Fort Worth is eligible for a minor amendment by the Zoning Administrator if the request conforms to the City of Fort Worth Comprehensive Plan and if the City has previously granted fewer than two minor amendments for that specific project. The thresholds for determining if a change to a CUP site plan is minor or major are identical to those used for Planned Development districts [Section 4.407].
Landscape and Urban Forestry Variations
The City of Fort Worth Development Services Director or a designee may approve minor variations in the location of required landscape materials. These adjustments are typically granted due to:
- Unusual topographic constraints.
- Sight restrictions or visibility triangles.
- Siting requirements.
- The preservation of existing stands of native trees [Section 6.301].
For Urban Forestry requirements, the Director of the City of Fort Worth may grant relief to certain height and setback requirements if the forestry regulations would unreasonably burden the development. This relief may include an increase in building height of up to 14 feet (in specific districts like C, CR, CF, E, and ER) or a reduction of up to 50% in required front, rear, or side yard setbacks [Section 6.302].
Sections Cited
- § 3.400 Application Required (Variances)
- § 4.303 Site Plan Revisions (Planned Developments)
- § 4.407 Conditional Use Permit (“CUP”) Overlay District
- § 4.713 Urban Residential (“UR”) District
- § 4.1300 Low Intensity Mixed-Use (“MU-1”) District
- § 4.1302 High Intensity Mixed-Use (“MU-2”) District
- § 6.301 Landscaping
- § 6.302 Urban Forestry