(a) Creation and appointment. There is hereby created an Urban Design Commission (UDC) for the purpose of:
(1) Recommending the designation of scenic, cultural, architectural or historical areas of the city as a conservation district;
(2) Recommending the designation of urban design districts;
(3) Reviewing and recommending to the city council the approval or modification of proposed design guidelines for urban design districts and conservation districts, except those districts where a separate design review board is established by the city council;
(4) Reviewing and approving projects in urban design districts and conservation districts for compliance with design guidelines, except those districts where a separate design review board is established by the city council;
(5) Reviewing and approving design standards for other projects as directed by the city council; and
(6) Reviewing and approving appeals from the requirements of Sec. 6.302 Urban Forestry.
(b) Members. The UDC shall consist of 11 regular members and four alternate members, to serve in the absence of one or more regular members, all of whom shall be residents of the city. The city council will consider for appointment to the commission as regular members and alternate members only those persons who have demonstrated their civic interest, general knowledge of the community, independent judgment, and availability to prepare for and attend meetings. At least six of the 11 regular member appointees must be practicing professionals from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design or planning, real estate, or law. At least one of the 11 regular member appointees must be a practicing or retired professional in the field of history, architectural history, or other discipline related to historic preservation. Appointees should be knowledgeable about fundamental principles of urban design and at least one member should possess or have knowledge of urban forestry principles. Appointment of the alternate members shall rotate from the aforementioned criteria. The members of the commission shall regularly attend meetings and public hearings of the commission and shall serve without compensation, except for reimbursement for authorized expenses attendant to the performance of their duties. As nearly as is reasonably possible, the UDC members as a whole shall fairly represent the ethnic makeup of the City of Fort Worth.
(c) Terms of office. Place numbers one through 11 identify the regular members of the UDC. The odd-numbered places expire on October 1 of each odd-numbered year and the even-numbered places expire October 1 of each even-numbered year. The terms of the alternate members expire on October 1 of odd-numbered years. Members may be appointed to succeed themselves. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms but no regular member or alternate shall be appointed for a term in excess of two years. Members and alternate members shall serve until their successors are appointed.
(d) Quorum. Six members of the UDC shall constitute a quorum. A motion to approve any matter before the UDC shall require the affirmative vote of six members of the commission.
(e) Powers and duties.
(1) Nomination and designation of design districts.
a. The UDC may nominate design districts. Nomination by the UDC shall be in the form of a resolution requesting that the planning and development department submit the nomination to the zoning commission for consideration. The UDC shall not consider a nomination for a design district until standards and guidelines have been submitted for review.
b. Applications and the procedure for designation of a design district shall follow the procedures outlined in Chapter 3, Article 5, except that written notice shall be provided as outlined in subsection (f) below. No design district shall be approved by the city council as a design district without a recommendation from the UDC on the proposed guidelines for the district.
c. Upon designation of an area as a design district by the city council, the designation indicating the boundaries of the district shall be adopted as an exhibit to the zoning ordinance. Design districts are overlay zoning districts or base districts which the UDC or a district-specific body appointed by the city council, has design review authority, as described in subsection (e)(2) below.
(2) Design standards and guidelines and certificate of appropriateness. In order to enhance the character of the districts, encourage economic development and protect property values, the UDC or the district-specific body shall:
a. Review and recommend to the city council the approval or modification of proposed design standards and guidelines for designated design; and
b. Review and approve, modify or reject an application for a certificate of appropriateness for new construction and renovations for compliance with the adopted design standards and/or guidelines for designated design districts.
(3) Design standards and guidelines directed by city council. In order to protect and enhance the character of the design districts, encourage economic development and protect property values, the UDC shall review and approve, modify or reject design standards for other applications as directed by the city council.
(4) Urban forestry. The UDC shall have the authority to grant waivers to Sec. 6.302, Urban Forestry.
(f) Notice for proposed design districts. Written notice of any application before the UDC for the nomination of any design district shall be given to the owner or owners of the property within the proposed design district, as such ownership appears on the last approved ad valorem tax roll at least ten days prior to any meeting. Such notice may be served by depositing the same, properly addressed and postage paid, in the United States mail.
(g) Appeal. Any aggrieved person or entity may appeal any decision of the UDC, other than nomination of an area as a conservation district or urban design district, to the board of adjustment. A written notice of appeal must be filed with the city secretary within ten days after receipt of notification of the commission's decision. The board of adjustment shall schedule a hearing on such appeal within 30 days after receipt of the notice of appeal, or as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable. The board of adjustment may uphold, reverse or modify the commission's decision.
(Ord. 13896, passed 10-12-1999; Ord. 15284, § 1, passed 10-8-2002; Ord. 16039, § 1, passed 7-13-2004; Ord. 17522, § 5, passed 4-24-2007; Ord. 17844, § 1, passed 10-16-2007; Ord. 18615-05-2009-B, §§ 2—4, passed 5-12-2009; Ord. 18900-11-2009, § 1, passed 11-3-2009; Ord. 20084-03-2012, § 1, passed 3-6-2012; Ord. 20158-04-2012, § 2, passed 4-3-2012; Ord. 21272-06-2014, § 5, passed 6-3-2014; Ord. 22109-03-2016, § 1, passed 3-1-2016; Ord. 23024-12-2017, § 3, passed 12-5-2017, eff. 3-17-2018; Ord. 23306-08-2018, § 1, passed 8-7-2018; Ord. 25251-12-2021, § 1, passed 12-14-2021; Ord. 26359-08-2023, § 1, passed 8-8-2023)