Kennedale planners recommend townhome rule changes to allow front garages and on‑street parking, remove mandatory alleys

On June 25 the Kennedale Plan & Zoning Commission recommended changes to the Unified Development Code’s townhome regulations to allow front-facing garages and parallel on-street parking and to remove the ordinance’s strict requirement that parking be located behind townhomes via alleys.

Planning staff said the current townhome standards require alleys and rear parking, which increases development cost, constrains development on oddly shaped lots and can result in alleys that cities ultimately maintain and that degrade under heavy use (for example, from large refuse trucks). Mr. McCoy said the amendment would allow front-facing garages, require parallel (not head‑in) on-street parking with adequate stall length and spacing, and add design details to keep parked vehicles from intruding into travel lanes. He said the action does not increase allowable building heights or overall density; rather, it provides developers with an alternative configuration better suited to Kennedale’s market and lot geometries.

Commissioners raised emergency‑access and fire‑hydrant concerns; Mr. McCoy said parking in front of hydrants remains prohibited and that the proposed design includes landscape/island spacing so access and hydrant proximity can be preserved. The commission voted to recommend the amendment as advertised.

Why it matters: the change is intended to reduce costs and make townhouse development feasible on constrained or irregular lots, but it shifts design responsibility to developers and raises operational questions about emergency access, parking spillover and long-term maintenance.

What happens next: the recommendation will go to council for public hearing and possible adoption; staff noted additional technical design details and potential future amendments to village-district standards could follow.