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FAQs Related Areas
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ENGINEERING
Q. How can I get the City to install speed bumps on my street? A. City policy does not permit speed bumps on City streets because of liability and reduced response times for police and fire. Q. Who do I contact about speeding on my street? A. The Police Department should be contacted regarding speeding. The only tool to address speeding is enforcement of the legal speed limit. Q. Can I build a retaining wall along my property and fill my yard to make it level? A. You may, as long as drainage on adjacent properties is not adversely impacted. Contact the Engineering Office at 972-219-3490 for further information and to obtain record drawings for the properties in question. Q. My property is encumbered with easements (drainage, water or sanitary sewer). What are my limitations on using the easement areas? A. No buildings or structures (including underground swimming pools, structural retaining walls, etc.) are allowed within 5-feet of the easement lines for drainage and sewer easements and within 10-feet of waterline easements. Contact the Engineering Office at 972-219-3735 to obtain additional information. Q. I want to expand/widen or add driveway connection to my property. What is the procedure? Is there a fee involved? A. A driveway permit application must be filled out with a plan attached to the permit. The plan (8 1/2" x 11" sheet) shall include width of the existing or proposed driveway, distance from the neighbor's property, etc. There is a $25.00 driveway permit application fee. Q. We have a contract out on a new house, can you tell me if the home is inside a floodplain? A. Floodplain information can be assessed at the Community Development window marked "Engineering Maps" at City Hall or you may call 972-219-3777. Q. The water in my neighbor's lawn drains into my lawn; how can we resolve the drainage issue? A. This matter is to be resolved between property owners. If it is the builder's fault, check with the Building Official's Office at 972-219-3470 to verify actual plot plan approved. Q. How can I find out the future development of roads in the City? A. A "Thoroughfare Map", which shows current and future development of roads, can be purchased at the Community Development window at City Hall marked "Engineering Maps". Q. Who is responsible for mowing the creek or park behind my house? A. If the property is dedicated City property, the citizen may call "Parks Department" at 972-219-3550. If the property is privately owned, the citizen needs to contact the owner of that property. FIRE PREVENTION Q. Are B-B-Q grills allowed on apartment balconies? PLANNING & COMMUNITY SERVICES Q. Where can I obtain a copy of the City of Lewisville General Development Ordinance (GDO), Old Town Development Ordinance (OTDO) and the Zoning Ordinance? A. There are two ways to obtain this information: 1. Go to the Permit or Engineering Counter in City Hall and buy the books. They sell for $25 each. 2. Go to the City's website at www.cityoflewisville.com, and mouse over "City Services", mouse over "Business and Development", mouse over "Ordinances" and click on "General Development Ordinances". All of the above documents can be found on-line, and are updated as needed. Q. How can I obtain updates of the General Development Ordinance and Old Town Development Ordinance? A. If you buy a copy of the General Development Ordinance and/or Old Town Development Ordinance from City Hall, there is a form at the front of the book that must be filled out and returned to the address indicated. Otherwise, please refer to the web site for the up to date sections. Q. What information do I need to find out what a property is zoned? A. Call the Planning & Community Services Division at 972-219-3455 with the following information: - legal description (i.e. Lot 1, Block A, ABC Addition) not just an address - general location (major intersections) - what is located on the property Q. How do I obtain the legal description of a property? A. Refer to your deed or the annual tax statement you receive from the Denton Central Appraisal District. If you are unable to find that information and have the address of the property, you can call the Denton Central Appraisal District at 972-434-2602 for the legal description. Q. How do I obtain an address for a new property? A. Contact the Building Inspection Division at 972-219-3472 to obtain an address. Q. Will the City allow me to deviate from zoning or development regulations if there is a hardship in strictly following them? Are there fees involved? A. Development Ordinance variance requests are heard by the Lewisville City Council and are approved on a case by case basis, only when the Council feels the spirit of the ordinance is being met or that strict application of the ordinance is unreasonable. The Zoning Board of Adjustment hears requests for variances from the Zoning Ordinance, but is limited to only certain types of variances. Variances are granted only when the Board feels there is a valid hardship caused by compliance with the ordinance. There are fees involved. For more information, call the Planning and Community Services Department 972-219-3455. ANIMAL SERVICES Q. What are the rabies vaccination requirements for dogs, cats, and ferrets in the City? A. Dogs, cats, and ferrets that are 4 or more months old are required to be vaccinated against rabies. The initial (very first) vaccination is valid for 12 months, even if a 3-year vaccine is used. Rabies vaccinations administered to the animal thereafter are valid for 12 months if a 1-year vaccine is used, and for 36 months if a 3-year vaccine is used. Q. What animals are required to be registered/licensed with the City? A. Dogs, cats, and ferrets that are 4 or more months old. Q. How much does it costs and what do I need in order to register/license my dog, cat, or ferret with the City? A. You have the option of registering/licensing your pet for 1 year @ $5.00 or for 3 years @ $15.00. You must first provide proof that the pet being registered/licensed has a current rabies vaccination before a registration/license certificate and tag can be issued. Q. Where do I go to register/license my dog, cat, or ferret with the City? A. BY MAIL: You may send your pet's current rabies vaccination certificate, along with the $5.00 or $15.00 fee to City of Lewisville Animal Services, P.O. Box 299002, Lewisville, Texas, 75029-9002. Please remember to include your name, address, and any contact phone numbers. If your pet is microchipped, please also include the microchip brand and ID number. IN PERSON: Bring your pet's current rabies vaccination certificate, along with the $5.00 or $15.00 fee to the City of Lewisville Leonard B. Judd Animal Shelter located at 851 Treatment Plant Road, Lewisville, Texas 75057. HEALTH & CODE ENFORCEMENT Q. How tall can the grass be before it needs to be cut? A. The grass can be 6-inches high on residential lots and 12-inches on undeveloped lots. GRANTS Q: Is there any general public transportation in Lewisville? A: Not at this time. Currently the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is conducting a bus and paratransit study and an Alternatives Analysis to help determine needs for the DCTA service area. Their web page address is www. dcta.net. Call 940-243-0077 for information. Q: Does the City of Lewisville have assistance for First-Time Homebuyers? A. Using funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the City of Lewisville has created the First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program (FHAP). The City of Lewisville offers downpayment, closing assistance, and principal reduction assistance to homebuyers who have not owned a home within the last three years. There are certain criteria that a household must meet to qualify. Call the Grants Office at 972-219-5026 for an application and a copy of the program criteria. Q: Does the City of Lewisville offer grants or loans to help residents of the City to rehabilitate their homes? A. The City of Lewisville Housing Rehabilitation Program offers grant assistance to low to low/moderate income residents to address repairs and code deficiencies in owner-occupied housing. The program has preferences for elderly, disabled and very low income homeowners. Additionally, priority is given to housing in two Targeted Reinvestment and Improvement Neighborhoods in Old Town: McKenzie/Hembry/Tanglewood and College Street. For information or to be screened for the program waiting list, contact Jamey Kirby at 972-219-3780. Q. What is the CDBG grant program? How much money does the City get and what does it do with the money? A. The Community Development Block Grant program is run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This coming year HUD will give the City $673,000 for Public Services, Housing, Community Development and Economic Development programs. Programs must benefit low/moderate-income Lewisville residents. In addition to First-time Homebuyers and Minor and Emergency Repairs, the City has funded an Infill Housing program and expansion of the PediPlace health clinic. Other grants were made to Social Service agencies including CASA, Denton County Children’s Advocacy Center, the Texas Workforce Commission and PediPlace. Q. Do I get a say in how the money is spent? A. Yes you do! First, the City of Lewisville holds neighborhood meetings to solicit input on how residents would like to see CDBG funds spent. The CDBG Advisory Committee then uses this input to select programs and allocate CDBG money to various nonprofit agencies and City departments. Lewisville residents may call the City Secretary’s office to request to serve on the CDBG Advisory Committee Residents have another opportunity to comment on the proposals before City Council. Once the proposed budget is approved by City Council, the City then holds public meetings to enable Lewisville residents to comment on the proposed Annual Action Plan (AAP). The AAP tells HUD how the City is planning on spending CDBG funds. All public and neighborhood meetings are advertised in the Legal Notice section of the Lewisville News. Q. What is the City Social Service Agency Fund? A. In addition to CDBG grants, the City also makes grants to social service agencies out of its general fund to purchase services for Lewisville residents. Next year the City will spend $173,250 on a variety of programs. Through an application process, the CDBG Advisory Committee also allocates these grants at the same time as the CDBG grants. If you have any further questions, Grants Staff can be contacted at: 972-219-5026 OLD TOWN - RENOVATING OR BUILDING A RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL BUILDING Q. Are there different ordinances for residential and commercial buildings in Old Town? A. Yes. The Old Town Development Ordinance applies specifically to the Old Town area and includes special architectural regulations and guidelines for building or renovating a building in Old Town. To see the Old Town Development Ordinance in its entirety click here. Q. Why are there architectural regulations in Old Town Lewisville that are different from the rest of the city? A. The design guidelines are written to ensure that future improvements in Old Town enhance revitalization efforts and protect property investment. The guidelines also work to protect and enhance our existing cultural and historic resources found in Old Town as well as assure that new buildings are compatible and complimentary to the "look and feel" of Old Town. Q. For the purposes of the Old Town Development Ordinance, what area of the city is considered “Old Town”? A. The Old Town Design District is bounded by I35 to Railroad St. & College St. to Purnell St. (Excluding Center District). The Old Town Center District is bounded by Charles St. to Kealy Ave. & Elm St. to Church St. Both the Old Town Center and Old Town Design Districts have special regulations that apply to their respective areas. Q. Which repairs to my home/business require a building permit? A. Certain types of home and commercial building maintenance require a building permit from the City. Some of these include: replacing siding, constructing a garage, fences, home additions and remodeling, decks, patio covers, storage buildings, replacing windows, pools, roofing and driveways. For a complete listing please contact the building inspections department at 972.219.3470. Q. What is an Old Town Development Plan? A. An Old Town Development Plan is a plan that is signed and sealed by a Texas Licensed Professional Engineer and/or a Texas Registered Architect. The Old Town Development Plan typically includes an overall layout of the site, building setbacks, parking layouts, fire protection, driveways and sidewalks, water and sanitary sewer, grading and drainage, easements, and landscaping plan. For a detailed listing what to include in an Old Town Development Plan, please contact Building Inspections at 972.219.3470 or go to Article V. of the Old Town Development Ordinance. Q. When is an Old Town Development Plan required to be submitted with my building permit? A. An Old Town Development Plan is required for all new buildings. An Old Town Development Plan must also be submitted when any of the following apply.
Q. What is the Old Town Design Review Committee? A. The Old Town Design Review Committee is a City Council-appointed committee that consists of five voting members and one advising architect. Any exterior changes to a home or commercial building in Old Town that require a building permit must first be reviewed by the Old Town Design Review Committee. Q. What information do I need to provide to the Old Town Design Review Committee for my project? A. For building renovations, the Committee will need drawings to scale of all sides of the building that are to be renovated, pictures of all sides of the existing building, as well as color and material samples. For new buildings, the Committee will also need a drawing to show existing building footprint and the footprint of the new structure. Q. What types of building material may I use for the exterior of my home or commercial building? A. Brick, wood, hardie-plank, and limited use of stone are the allowable materials for building exteriors in Old Town. Metal and vinyl, as well as polished stone, for building siding are prohibited. Q. Can I use vinyl or aluminum siding? What about stucco? A. Vinyl and aluminum siding are not allowable in Old Town. For a low-maintenance alternative to wood, you may use hardie-plank siding. Stucco is also not an allowable material for siding in Old Town. Q. Are building colors restricted in Old Town? A. Yes, colors should compliment neighboring buildings and reflect a traditional color palette. Only colors that are similar to the approved color palette by the National Trust for Historic Preservation will be allowed. Colors that are extremely bright, fluorescent or neon may not be used. Q. How do I know if the design for my renovation or addition to my home is historically sensitive for Old Town? A. Design an alteration to be compatible with the original character of the property. Avoid alterations that would damage historic features or that would hinder the ability to interpret the design or character of the original building. An addition should relate to the historic building in mass, scale and form. It should be designed to remain subordinate to the main structure. An addition should be simple in design to prevent it from competing with the primary facade. The roof form of a new addition should be in character with that of the primary building. Q. Who do I contact if I have questions about modifications to my building in Old Town? A. Please contact Sarah McLain, Economic Development Specialist at 972-219-3736 or smclain@cityoflewisville.org OLD TOWN - SIGN INFORMATION FOR OLD TOWN BUSINESSES Q. Are there regulations for signs in Old Town that are different from the rest of the city? A. Yes. The Sign Ordinance has specific sections with different regulations for Old Town. To see the Sign Ordinance in its entirety < click here. Q. Why are there sign regulations in Old Town Lewisville that are different from the rest of the city? A. The Sign Ordinance addresses Old Town with different regulations for the purpose of having signs that contribute to the historic atmosphere of Old Town. Q. For the purposes of the Sign Ordinance, what area of the city is considered “Old Town”? A. The Old Town Design District is bounded by I35 to Railroad St. & College St. to Purnell St. (Excluding Center District). The Old Town Center District is bounded by Charles St. to Kealy Ave. & Elm St. to Church St. Both the Old Town Center and Old Town Design Districts have special regulations that apply to their respective areas. Q. Which signs require a sign permit? A. All new signs in Old Town require a sign permit and re-facing an existing sign also requires a sign permit. In addition, signs in Old Town that require a permit must be first approved by the Old Town Design Review Committee for historic sensitivity and compliance with the materials, color, and lighting requirements for Old Town. Q. What is the Old Town Design Review Committee? A. The Old Town Design Review Committee is a City Council-appointed committee that consists of five voting members and one advising architect. Any exterior changes to a home or commercial building in Old Town that require a building permit as well as any new signs or alterations to existing signs must first be reviewed by the Old Town Design Review Committee. Q. What types of signs may I have on my commercial property in Old Town? A. The numbers and types of signs allowable for a particular building in Old Town will depend on the location of the building in Old Town as well as the number and types of signs currently installed on the building. Generally, the following types of signs are allowed: low-profile/monument sign, projecting sign, wall sign, window sign. Sandwich board signs and awning/marquee signs are only allowable in the Old Town Center District. For more information on the allowable types and numbers of signs see Sign Ordinance. Q. Can I have a pole sign or a roof sign? A. Pole signs and roof signs are prohibited in Old Town. Q. What information do I need to provide to the Old Town Design Review Committee for my sign? A. To review a sign, the Committee will need full color sign designs drawn or rendered to scale with dimensions and materials clearly labeled and photographs or drawings to scale of the existing building with the proposed sign shown on the building. If the proposed sign is a monument sign, please include a site plan. If the proposed sign projects over a pedestrian way or vehicular way, show the distance from the lowest part of the sign to the finished grade. Q. I would like to reface my existing sign in Old Town. Is a permit required? A. Yes, re-facing an existing sign also requires a sign permit and review by the Old Town Design Review Committee. Q. What materials are allowable for signs in Old Town? A. For sign faces, wood, metal, molded polyurethane or masonry is allowable. Lettering may be mounted, painted, engraved or vinyl lettering. Q. What type of lighting may I have for my sign? A. External lighting of signs is allowable as well as limited use of neon lighting, when appropriate. Q. Can I internally light my sign? A. No, signs in Old Town shall not be internally lit. However, signs may be lit externally. Q. Can I use LED lighting? A. LED lighting on signs is prohibited in Old Town. Q. Where do I go for more information on allowable dimensions for signs and information on how many types of signs I may have? A. Please go to the Old Town Center District Sign Guide or the Old Town Design District Sign Guide for more specific information on signs in Old Town. You may also go to the Sign Ordinance. Q. Who do I contact for more information regarding applying for a sign permit in Old Town? A. Please contact Sarah McLain, Economic Development Specialist at 972-219-3736 or smclain@cityoflewisville.org Updated last on 03/24/2008 |
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