The City of Hitchcock’s Zoning Ordinance was adopted in 2002 and has been updated over time. It provides for the division of land into different zoning districts, including various residential, commercial, and industrial districts. Land uses in each zoning district are regulated according to type, density, height, lot size, placement, building bulk, and other development standards.

When considering developing a property in the City of Hitchcock, your first step should be to find out if the land use you propose for that property is allowed in the zoning district in which the property is located. You can check with City staff in the Community Development Department. Community Development staff serves as your point of contact throughout the zoning process.

If it is determined that your proposed use of a property is allowed in the zoning district in which the property is located, you can focus on platting, public infrastructure and building permit processes described in this guide as they may apply to your development project. If it is determined that a use is potentially allowed but only with approval of a Special Use Permit, you should follow the procedure for Special Use Permit approval described below. If it is determined that your proposed use of a property is not allowed in the zoning district in which it is located, you may make an application to change that zoning designation to one that would allow the proposed use. Rezoning requests are amendments to the official zoning map and require approval of an ordinance by the City Commission.

Zoning Change Process

Your first step in the zoning change process will be to contact the Community Development Department at (409) 316-7234 to discuss the nature of your zoning request in a pre-development meeting. A pre-development meeting is required prior to application submittal. While complete plans will not be required until after the zoning change process is complete, if you have a particular development in mind, it would be beneficial for you to share your plans with staff to make sure that what you want to do on your property is possible when all applicable codes are applied. Staff will help you explore the feasibility of your request and identify possible alternatives as needed.

Rezoning requests are reviewed for compatibility with existing and anticipated land uses in a property’s vicinity in accordance with the City of Hitchcock Comprehensive Plan, a long-range master plan intended to guide policy decisions relating to the physical development of our community.

If you wish to apply for a zoning change, you must submit a completed rezoning application form, a required processing fee, a boundary survey of the property, and a legal (metes-and-bounds) description of the property you wish to rezone, to the Community Development Department. No incomplete application (missing information, or fees) will be accepted for review. All rezoning requests are first considered by the Planning and Zoning Board during a public hearing. The Planning and Zoning Board is a body made up of seven citizens, appointed by the Mayor and City Commission to hear and make recommendations on zoning and other development-related matters. You will notify Property owners within 200 feet from the property for which a rezoning is requested with a certified letter, with receipt informing them of the date and time of the public hearing. Planning staff will prepare a report summarizing the request and present this report with a staff recommendation to the Planning and Zoning Board. The Board will then hold a public hearing where interested citizens may come forward to speak for or against the request. Planning and Zoning Board meetings are generally held on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 7423 Highway 6. Following the public hearing, the Board will make a recommendation concerning the rezoning request to the City Commission. The City Commission will then hold its own public hearing on the matter. City Commission generally meets on the 3rd Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 7423 Highway 6. Following that public hearing, City Commission may approve, approve with modifications, or deny the proposed rezoning. It is recommended that the applicant or a representative attend all public hearings related to his or her request and be prepared to answer any questions from Planning and Zoning Board and/or Commission members.

Special Use Permits

The approval process for Special Use Permits is almost identical to that for rezoning.

A ‘special use’ is one which may be appropriate at some but not all locations in the zoning district where potentially allowed. Consideration of a Special Use Permit allows the City Commission to impose conditions on the conduct and appearance of a specific use at a particular location to help lessen any adverse effects such a use might have on the surrounding environment, if warranted.

If you wish to apply for a Special Use Permit, you must submit a completed Special Use Permit application form and the required processing fee to the Community Development Department. A Special Use Permit application must also be accompanied by a site plan showing existing and planned development features (for example, buildings, off-street parking areas, driveways and landscaping), a metes and bounds description of the property, and a boundary survey of the property. The application must be reviewed by the Community Development Department before your request can be considered by the Planning and Zoning Board. The purpose of the staff review is to ensure that a proposed development complies with all applicable city codes and ordinances and can receive the required permits if the Special Use Permit is granted.

You will notify Property owners within 200 feet from the property for which a rezoning is requested with a certified letter, with receipt informing them of the date and time of the public hearing. Community Development staff will prepare a report summarizing the request and present this report with a staff recommendation to the Planning and Zoning Board. The Board will then hold a public hearing where interested citizens may come forward to speak for or against the request. Following the public hearing, the Commission will make a recommendation concerning the request to the City Commission.

City Commission will then hold its own public hearing on the matter. Following that public hearing, City Commission may approve, approve with modifications, or deny the proposed Special Use Permit. It is recommended that the applicant or a representative attend all public hearings related to his or her request and be prepared to answer any questions from Planning and Zoning Board and/or Commission members.

Summary

As soon as the property you wish to develop has the appropriate zoning, the next step in the development process is the platting process. Please contact the Community Development Department at (409) 316-7234 if you have any questions regarding the zoning process or your development project in general.