While most coverage of the San Angelo City Council meeting on May 19 was focused on the regulations for potential data center development, council also moved to amend the city’s zoning regulations to encourage more affordable housing, with a major gap in availability in sight.
Study Identifies Big Shortfalls in Housing Affordability
Planning and Development Services Director Aaron Vannoy said the proposals were shaped by housing studies completed in 2019 and 2024 examining San Angelo’s housing supply, pricing trends and future needs.
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“These changes are in some ways mirrors of this,” Vannoy said during the presentation. “The study is asking us to do much more than what we’re doing today. Today is the middle of the road trying to get in alignment of what we can expect growth for our community.”
According to city officials, the studies identified demand for more entry-level housing, particularly homes priced between $175,000 and $225,000 and rental units ranging from $875 to $1,300 per month.
The regulations focused on encouraging affordable housing development, increasing flexibility for builders and reducing development costs tied to infrastructure requirements.
The changes amend portions of the city’s zoning ordinance and land development and subdivision ordinance, including the creation of new residential zoning districts, revisions to lot and setback requirements, reductions in some street width standards and updated sidewalk requirements.
New Categories Focus on Narrower Lots, Multiple Residences
Under the approved amendments, the city will add three new residential zoning categories — RS4, RS5 and RS6 — intended to allow smaller lots, narrower lot widths and additional housing types such as triplexes and quadruplexes.
Vannoy said the new districts are designed to provide builders with more flexibility while preserving traditional single-family neighborhoods.
“We are keeping our RS1 and our RS3 zoning exactly like they’ve been. That’s not changing at all,” he said. “We’re adding opportunities for a couple of other RS1 districts, RS1 style that are smaller lots, narrower lots, and whether that be in new development or infill development.”
The RS4 district reduces minimum lot sizes from the traditional 5,000 square feet to 3,000 square feet and allows narrower 35-foot lots. RS5 is intended for HUD-designated infill areas and permits minimum lot sizes of 2,500 square feet.
Officials said the changes could help developers spread infrastructure costs across more homes within a subdivision.
“Instead of 50 foot lots, if you want to go down to 35 feet, you can do that and maybe you can put in more lots per block and spread that cost out over the number of homes along that block,” Vannoy said.
The council also approved revisions to the city’s RM1 zoning district, limiting it to low-rise multifamily housing rather than allowing a broad mix of residential uses. Additional zoning changes remove the city’s floor area ratio standard, revise setbacks and reduce some parking requirements for smaller homes from two parking spaces to one.
The council also approved amendments to the city’s land development and subdivision ordinance, including reduced street width requirements for some new developments.
Infrastructure Requirements Rolled Back Slightly
Senior Planner Austin Reed said the committee reviewing subdivision standards focused on lowering infrastructure-related costs that can make housing development more expensive.
“The purpose of this whole thing was to research and discuss changes that could promote affordability and consistency,” Reed said.
Under the approved changes, required paving widths for new local streets will decrease from 40 feet to 36 feet. New minor collector streets will decrease from 48 feet to 40 feet.
Reid said the committee determined some of the city’s existing standards exceeded what many comparable cities require.
“San Angelo is at the far end of that spectrum, requiring 40 ft for a new local road,” Reed told the council.
The sidewalk amendments clarify where sidewalks are required in new developments. Sidewalks will no longer automatically be required near commercial developments and churches, but they will still be required within 300 feet of schools and parks.
