At-Large Position 5
Parks and Open Space Ordinance Update
At the February 3 and March 3, 2026, Budget & Fiscal Affairs (BFA) Committee meetings, the Houston Parks and Recreation (HPARD), Planning, and Legal departments provided updates on the Open Space Ordinance. This ordinance requires residential developers to dedicate land or pay a fee in lieu of dedication based on the number of housing units built. The city uses this funding to acquire new parkland or improve existing parks. Since 2007, the city has gained over nearly $100 million and 114 acres in parkland from the ordinance. These park dedication funds support our existing system and help secure matching grants from local, state, and federal sources.
On July 15, 2026, city council amended this ordinance to align with state law and to allow up to 30% of Park Dedication Fund fees to be used across all park sectors. The amendments also extended the deadline for obligating funds to five years and increased the allowable soft-cost allocation to 10%.
On November 2, 2026, HPARD returned to BFA with an updated annual report and a recommendation to increase the fee from $700 to $900. The proposed adjustment reflects rising appraised land values and remains below both the maximum amount permitted under state law ($1,296) and the inflation-adjusted equivalent ($1,113). In recognition of affordability concerns, the administration is taking a more gradual approach to fee increases, though I fully expect incremental adjustments to continue until the fee reaches the maximum allowable level.
See relevant documents below:
- February 3 BFA meeting presentation
- March 3 BFA meeting presentation
- March 3 BFA follow up materials:
- April 30 Planning Commission presentation
- Link to existing open space ordinance
- June 2 BFA meeting presentation
- Open Space Ordinance proposed redline
- November 2 BFA meeting materials: