85R8884 PAM-F
 
  By: Elkins H.B. No. 3418
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to municipal zoning affecting places or areas of
  historical, cultural, or architectural importance and
  significance.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 211, Local Government
  Code, is amended by adding Section 211.0165 to read as follows:
         Sec. 211.0165.  ZONING AFFECTING PLACES OR AREAS OF
  HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, OR ARCHITECTURAL IMPORTANCE AND
  SIGNIFICANCE. (a) A municipality that has established a process
  for designating places or areas as historically important and
  significant through the adoption of zoning regulations or zoning
  district boundaries must include the following as criteria in
  determining whether to adopt the regulations or boundaries:
               (1)  to designate a place or an area based on the
  occurrence of an event, the event that occurred at the place or in
  the area must be widely recognized as a historic event; or
               (2)  to designate a property location based on a person
  associated with that location, the person must be recognized as a
  historic figure who lived at the property location.
         (b)  An action by a zoning commission or planning commission
  to recommend the adoption of or proposed change to a zoning
  regulation or zoning district boundary applicable in a designated
  place or area of historical, cultural, or architectural importance
  and significance requires the vote of three-fourths of all members
  of the zoning commission or planning commission. An action by the
  governing body of a municipality to approve a recommendation of a
  zoning commission or planning commission described by this
  subsection requires the vote of three-fourths of all members of the
  governing body of a municipality.
         (c)  If a property owner submits a request to the appropriate
  municipal official to take an action under municipal zoning
  regulations to construct, reconstruct, alter, or raze a building or
  other structure in a designated place or area of historical,
  cultural, or architectural importance and significance, the
  municipal official must approve or deny the property owner's
  request not later than the 30th day after the date the property
  owner submits the request. If the municipal official fails to
  approve or deny the property owner's request within the period
  prescribed by this subsection, the request is considered approved.
         SECTION 2.  (a) Section 211.0165(a), Local Government Code,
  as added by this Act, applies only to a designation of a place or
  area as historically important and significant made on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         (b)  Section 211.0165(c), Local Government Code, as added by
  this Act, applies only to a request to take an action under
  municipal zoning regulations submitted to a municipal regulatory
  authority on or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.