Texas Municipalities' New Apartment Building Amenities Mandate

under implementation

Following the enactment of Texas Senate Bill 840, which requires larger cities in larger counties to allow new mid-rise apartment buildings in commercially zoned areas, some Texas municipalities are imposing additional mandates on new apartment projects. For example, Arlington, Texas, requires builders to include five amenities from a city menu, such as dog parks, sports courts, rooftop lounges, and fitness centers with saunas or steamrooms. Pools are mandatory for projects with 80 or more units. Plano, Texas, requires projects to be at least 45 feet tall, and Frisco, Texas, has zoned areas for heavy industrial use to circumvent the law. These mandates are intended to improve the quality of life but may increase rents and reduce the number of new housing projects built.