Municipal Development

201 East Nash
Terrell, TX 75160
Office:972-551-6606
Metro:  972-524-3332
Fax:  972-551-6677
Inspection Hotline:  972-551-6654
E-mail: municipaldevelopment@cityofterrell.org

Staff:

 Director: Terry Capehart

 Chief Building Official:David Denney
 Code Enforcement Officer: Scott Boyd

 Code Enforcement Officer: Sherry Foster

 Code Enforcement Officer: Ronnie Click
 Housing Inspector: Jerry Persall
 Administrative Assistant: Lucy York
 Administrative Assistant: Omaira Renteria

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday:  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• Planning and Zoning
• Building Inspections
• Code Enforcement
• Housing Inspections

Municipal Development deals with all aspects of planning, building, development, and code enforcement within the City of Terrell. The department’s responsibilities are divided into three divisions: Planning and Zoning, Building Inspections, and Code Enforcement. Below you will find a heading for each division with links and information related to that area of responsibility.

The Developer’s Corner is a one-stop information center for everything you need to know about the development processes, including zoning, platting, economic development incentives, and obtaining building permits. You’ll find fee schedules, guides, checklists, applications, submittal requirements, maps, ordinances, and contact information. The Developer's Corner also provides the latest information regarding current development activities such as Building Permits recently issued, Certificates of Occupancy recently issued, and Development Projects that are starting up.

Municipal Development works closely with the Planning & Zoning Commission, the Zoning Board of Adjustments, the Building Standards Commission, and the Construction Board of Adjustments.

Planning and Zoning

The Planning and Zoning Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. on the 4th Monday of each month. Meetings are held in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, 201 East Nash street. Deadline for item consideration is the first week of the month.

Agendas are posted on the City Calendar when they become available.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment meets at 5:30 p.m. on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Meetings are held in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, 201 East Nash street.

Zoning Ordinance (this is a 2.7m pdf* file)

 

Planning and zoning map

The following are links to the most requested P & Z forms, ordinances, or other information:

• Application to apply for a position on a City Board or Commission. (Espanól) You can also use a printable application (Word version)
• The City of Terrell GIS Maps online
• Construction Plat Submission Requirements
• Comprehensive Plan 2002 (pdf* format, 133 page file 4.3m download)
• The Developer’s Corner
• Plat Application *
• Subdivision Ordinance (pdf* format, 91 page file 475k download)
• Park Land Dedication Ordinance – Ordinance number 2187 excerpted
• Sustainable Intergovernmental Agreements (this is a 680k pdf* file)
• Tax Increment Finance Zone #1
  • Tax Increment Finance Zone Application Word format (pdf* format)
• Zoning Application (Word format)
• Target Vitality

*Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view and print pdf documents.
Download it free.

Building Inspections

The mission of the Building Inspection Department is to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment by reasonable enforcement of the codes, providing efficient customer service, and ensuring quality in the design, construction, and use of properties within the city.

This is done through review of requests for permits, confirming compliance with all state and local codes and ordinances, inspection of new construction projects and inspection of existing buildings for code compliance, and issuance of construction permits.

The Building Inspections Division also acts as the staff liaison to the Buildings and Standards Commission in the adjudication of substandard and dangerous buildings.

Permits are necessary so that we can help you complete your project and meet certain safety and legal issues. This website will help guide you through the necessary steps in getting a permit for just about any project you might do or have done.

The Building Inspection Hot line number is 972-551-6654.

Press #1 for Building Inspection

Press #2 for Fire Marshal

Press #3 for Code Enforcement Complaints

 

Leave your name and phone number, job address, and type of inspection you are requesting.

The following are links to the most requested building inspection forms, ordinances or other information:

• Authorization to pull permits form
• Application for sign permit
• Building Permit Application
• Building permit fees and charges
• Certificate of Occupancy Application
• Construction site regulation
• Contractor applications
  • Mechanical Contractor
  • Plumbing Contractor
  • Registration as an irrigator
  • Registration as an electrician
  • Registration as a backflow tester contractor
• Health/Food permit application
• Line Locate Form
• Ordinance No. 1989 - Regulating, Installation, and Maintenance of required landscaping for commercial and multi-family development within the City (pdf 106k download)
• Ordinance No. 2266 - Exterior construction requirements and standards of the Terrell City Code
• Ordinance No. 2400 - Impact Fees
• Technical Construction Standards and Specifications (pdf 102 page file 2.6m download)
• Waste water permit (pdf format, 3.9 m download)

Code Enforcement

The City of Terrell, by direction of the City Council, has for the past 3 years made it a priority to clean up all residential and commercial properties in our city. There are four code enforcement officers who travel throughout the city and are pro-active in eliminating nuisances such as High Weeds and Grass, Junk/Debris, Junk Vehicles, and Off-Premise Signs.

The city is divided into three enforcement zones. The east side of Terrell from Virginia St./Hwy 34 to the east (Zone 1) is patrolled by Code Officer Ronnie Click. The central parts of town between Virginia and Rockwall Streets (Zone 2) are handled by Code Officer Scott Boyd. Everything west of Rockwall Street (Zone 3) is covered by Code Officer Sherry Foster.

Feel free to call our hotline, which is a direct message center line (972-551-6654 #3), with any questions or to report code violations.

You can also use email to contact us for a prompt response.

• rclick@cityofterrell.org
• sboyd@cityofterrell.org
• sfoster@cityofterrell.org

High Weeds/Grass- Chapter 7, Section 3 of the City of Terrell Code of Ordinances: Property owners/tenants (agents in charge of the property) must keep all grass and weeds below 12” at all time including all easements, alleyways, and curb lines adjacent to their property. Penalties for non-compliance of notice shall result in a citation and/or abatement by the city or its contractor resulting in a bill for the mowing and administrative fees.

Junk/Debris- Chapter 7, Section 3 of the City of Terrell Code of Ordinances: Property owners/tenants (agents in charge of the property) must keep the property free of any accumulation of trash, rubbish, brush, furniture, appliances, or anything that can harbor rats, rodents, vermin, or any other disease carrying pests. Penalties for non-compliance of notice shall result in a citation and/or abatement by the City of Terrell or its contractor to remove the nuisance. This will also carry a bill for service and an administrative fee.

Junk Vehicles- Chapter 7, Section 4 of the City of Terrell Code of Ordinances: A junk vehicle is defined as "any self-propelled vehicle that does not have lawfully attached to it an unexpired license plate registration or a valid motor vehicle inspection sticker or is discarded or wrecked or dismantled or has remained inoperable for more than 30 days on private property or 72 hours on public property".

If your vehicle is lacking any of these criteria it is considered a junk vehicle. If it is in ordinary public view, which is being able to be seen from any public street or easement, the city shall begin actions to abate the nuisance. Vehicles may be kept in a garage, behind a fence, but out of public view, or moved from city limits until it is brought back into compliance.

After 10 days of notice a judge order will go on the vehicle and it shall be towed to a scrap yard to be immediately crushed. By State Law as well as City Code, once these actions are taken it cannot be retrieved by the owner or the City of Terrell.

Housing Inspections

The Housing Inspections Division conducts inspections of Section 8 housing units on an annual basis as required by Federal Law and are scheduled typically within 30 days of the same anniversary date from the previous year. New Section 8 rental units are scheduled for inspections prior to being occupied and annually within 30 days of the anniversary date of the previous inspection. Inspections are typically scheduled on Fridays unless otherwise notified.

The Multi-family Inspection Ordinance No. 2385 has now been superseded by the new Rental Community Integrity Ordinance No. 2457, adopted on July 20, 2010, which now requires inspections of all Multi-family, Duplex, Manufactured Housing and Single-family rental properties.

The Rental Community Integrity Ordinance, Ord. No. 2457, establishes minimum property maintenance and safety standards for Single Family, Duplex, Multi-Family, and Manufactured rental housing. The purpose of this ordinance is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Terrell by the inspection of rental property in the City of Terrell. Required annual inspections of multi-family units have been in place since October 2008 and this new ordinance continues this program with the addition of duplexes, manufactured and single-family rental housing units along with incentives for participating in the new “Crime Free Rental Program”.

The “Crime Free Rental Program” is a nationally recognized program designed to help reduce crime in rental properties. Participation in this program is strictly voluntary; however, a number of benefits and incentives are available to those rental property owners who participate, such as, significantly reduced annual fees, two year inspection certificates vs. annual certificates, and a greatly simplified inspection checklist (NFPA 101–2 page checklist vs. HUD checklist–20 pages). The annual fee will be $8.00 per unit if you decide to participate in the “Crime Free Rental Program” otherwise the yearly fee will be $25.00 per unit for a 68% savings.

What do you need to do if you own or manage residential rental property in Terrell?

• If you are the manager or owner of Multi-family, Duplex, Manufactured (mobile home) or Single-family residential rental property and want to participate in the “Crime Free Rental Program” in order to qualify for incentives and benefits you must complete the Rental Property Registration Form (coming soon- please check back) and return it to the City by August 31st.
  
• If your rental units have already been inspected and received an Inspection Certificate for 2010 or the current year then no additional inspections or fees will be due until your regularly scheduled inspection next year; however, you must register by the above deadline and begin participation in the “Crime Free Rental Program” in order to receive reduced fees for next year.
  
• All rental properties which have not been inspected in 2010 must be scheduled for an inspection and/or registered in the Crime-Free Rental Program by August 31, 2010 and be inspected before December 31, 2010. Click here (coming soon- please check back) for the Rental Property Registration Form which needs to be completed and returned to the Municipal Development Dept., 201 E. Nash Street, Terrell, Texas 75160.
  
• Single-family rental properties which are currently vacant as of July 20, 2010 shall be inspected prior to a new tenant moving into the vacant unit.
  
• Single-family rental units which are occupied are not required to be inspected until they are vacant (see Ordinance No. 2457 for more details); however, they must be registered in the Crime-Free Rental Program by August 31, 2010 in order to qualify for incentives.

Our Housing Inspector is Jerry Persall, feel free to call our hotline, which is a direct message center line (972-551-6654 #3), or if you have any questions you may also call or send an email to contact us for a prompt response:

Email: jpersall@cityofterrell.org

Office: 972-551-6600 ext. 250
Cell: 469-576-0906
Fax: 972-551-6677

 

• Rental Community Integrity Ordinance No. 2457
  
• Rental Property Registration Form (Word format)