Aledo's Unified Development Code: every amendment, from signage to subdivision procedures

Work session: new state law strips the city's power to permit or inspect food trucks, and the ordinance will be rewritten

City Attorney Alicia Kreh recommended removing permitting requirements from the current ordinance, putting zoning requirements in the UDC rather than in Chapter 14 to avoid inconsistencies, noted that limiting a food truck's hours is questionable though food truck park hours are likely acceptable, and said some cities are removing bathroom requirements. A resident asked that food trucks be allowed in residential areas. After questions about whether the city can require or perform fire inspections, the council asked staff to return with amendments to the food truck ordinance and clarification on fire inspections. No action was taken, and the session adjourned at 6:04 p.m.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, July 16, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, July 16, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Council seeks $2 million for Lasater Addition water mains, rezones the Aledo mobile home park under the new MH district, and orders a water and wastewater master plan update

The council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 2026-O-19, which aligns the subdivision process in the Unified Development Code with standard Texas practice by correcting the development process flow chart, clarifying plat recordation eligibility and making other consistency revisions, and Ordinance No. 2026-O-20, a city-initiated rezoning of the 23.774-acre Aledo MH Park at 124 Yates Circle, including addresses on Yates Circle, Langham Drive, Rogers Court, Feedlot Road and Old Annetta Road, from Planned Development-Manufactured Homes to the new Manufactured Homes district created May 7 in response to Senate Bill 785, which takes effect Sept. 1, 2026. Grant Fore of the Berkley Group said the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended both unanimously on June 11. No one spoke at either hearing.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, July 16, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, July 16, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Planning commission recommends a subdivision-process cleanup with a 20% maintenance bond and MH zoning for the Aledo mobile home park

After a hearing at which no one spoke, the commission unanimously recommended amendments to the Unified Development Code's subdivision process: clarifying the development process flow chart and the sequencing of final plat approval and public improvement permitting, clarifying plat recordation eligibility and public improvement requirements, establishing a 20% maintenance bond requirement based on construction costs, and minor consistency revisions. Grant Fore of the Berkley Group said the changes align the city with standard Texas subdivision practice.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, June 11, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, June 11, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

A reconstituted planning commission elects Jessica Dobbins chair and gets its Planning 101 and open-meetings training

Fore also reviewed the ongoing Unified Development Code updates for Senate Bill 785 on HUD-code manufactured homes, including the new MH district, its permitted uses and standards, future consideration of where manufactured housing will be zoned, and the timeline for the commission, with the changes intended to align the code with the law by its Sept. 1, 2026, effective date. The meeting adjourned at 6:57 p.m.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, May 14, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, May 14, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Planning commission recommends the new manufactured-home district and the 103-lot Shaw Ranch preliminary plat

After a hearing at which no one spoke, the commission unanimously recommended amending the Unified Development Code to establish a Manufactured Home (MH) zoning district with its use regulations and design and development standards. Grant Fore of the Berkley Group said Texas Senate Bill 785, effective Sept. 1, 2026, requires HUD-code manufactured homes to be permitted by right in at least one residential district, and that the amendment only creates the district; applying it to any property would require separate hearings.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, April 9, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, April 9, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Council awards a $714,971 FM 1187 landscaping contract, rezones 2 Dean Drive to regional commercial, and adopts the design standards manual

On the consent agenda the council adopted Resolution No. 2026-R-07, the revised Design Standards Manual presented in March, and Resolution No. 2026-R-08, a park and facility naming policy, approved the March 5 minutes, and canceled the April 16 regular meeting. Chief Carol Riddle presented the police department's quarterly report.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, April 2, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, April 2, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Planning commission recommends C-3 zoning for 2 Dean Drive and hears why Aledo's traffic standard is stricter than TxDOT's

Jenny Tatum and Mason Shoaf of Kimley-Horn presented traffic Level of Service standards, which grade intersection delay from LOS A, minimal delay, to LOS F, failing. Aledo currently requires a minimum of LOS C, while many cities and TxDOT use LOS D; the discussion covered the effects of each on development requirements, roadway capacity, infrastructure cost and traffic operations, and how studies evaluate existing conditions, the build-out year and sometimes a five-year horizon. No action was taken, and the meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, March 12, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, March 12, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Council creates a Library Advisory Board, cancels the May election after candidates go unopposed, and previews new engineering design standards

After public hearings at which no one spoke, the council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 2026-O-12, setting the maximum area and number of placards for historic decorative pole signs and establishing criteria for Specific Use Permits for monument signs in the Downtown district, and Ordinance No. 2026-O-13, adding definitions of adult store, cash advance establishment, pawn shop and vape/CBD shop to the Unified Development Code. Grant Fore of the Berkley Group said the Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended both unanimously on Feb. 12, 2026.

Dylan Swoboda of Kimley-Horn presented a revised Design Standards Manual reflecting current engineering practice for water, sanitary sewer, street and storm drainage infrastructure. The updates establish requirements for traffic impact studies with a threshold analysis worksheet, clarify downstream storm drainage assessment and calculation requirements, update water and sewer standards including minimum pipe sizes and material requirements, and add a section on easement requirements. It was for discussion only, with a final version due back for adoption April 2. City Manager Candice Edmondson also presented a proposed park and facility naming policy for comment before the April meeting.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, March 5, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, March 5, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Planning commission recommends pole-sign placard limits, downtown monument-sign criteria, and definitions that fold title and payday loans into cash-advance establishments

The commission unanimously forwarded positive recommendations on two signage amendments to the Unified Development Code: the maximum area and number of placards allowed for historic decorative pole signs, following discussions at the December and January meetings, and criteria for approving a Specific Use Permit for a monument sign in the Downtown district. Discussion of the second included the code's 60% rule for nonconforming signs destroyed by storm damage.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, Feb. 12, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, Feb. 12, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Council adopts parkland, dark-sky lighting and tree ordinances and orders the May 2 election

After public hearings at which no one spoke, the council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 2026-O-07, amending the Unified Development Code's open space standards on the dedication of parkland and open space within subdivision development, and Ordinance No. 2026-O-08, amending the lighting standards to the illumination standards of the International Dark Sky Association. Grant Fore, senior planner with the Berkley Group, told the council both had been discussed at the Nov. 10, 2025, joint work session with the Planning and Zoning Commission and that the commission unanimously recommended approval on Jan. 8, 2026.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, Feb. 5, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, Feb. 5, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Council adopts five development-code amendments, calls a special election for Place 4, and votes 3-2 to appraise the old library

Five amendments to the Unified Development Code, all of which grew out of a Nov. 10, 2025, joint workshop with the Planning and Zoning Commission and each of which the commission recommended 6-0 on Dec. 11, 2025, passed unanimously after public hearings at which no one spoke. Ordinance No. 2026-O-01 aligns the public notice requirements and protest criteria for zoning changes with new state law. Ordinance No. 2026-O-02 amends the allowed-uses table so that pawn shops are permitted by right in M-2 Heavy Industrial and adult stores, vape and CBD shops, and cash-advance establishments are permitted in M-2 only with a Specific Use Permit. Ordinance No. 2026-O-03 allows monument signs in the Downtown district with a Specific Use Permit. Ordinance No. 2026-O-04 clarifies site development permitting procedures, keeping non-point-source pollution controls and tree protection as requirements before construction rather than permit conditions. Ordinance No. 2026-O-05 adds definitions for service bays and self-storage facilities.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, Jan. 15, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, Jan. 15, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal

Planning commission backs the Mid-Park replat on Dean Drive and the open-space and dark-sky code changes

After public hearings, the commission unanimously recommended the amendments to the Unified Development Code's open space standards on the dedication of parkland and open space within subdivisions, and to the lighting standards adopting the illumination standards of the International Dark Sky Association. A proposed amendment to the tree preservation article of Chapter 22 was removed from the agenda after discussion with the city attorney determined it was not within the commission's purview. Fore also presented a training session on plats and permits and led a discussion of the size allowance for historic decorative pole signs in the Downtown district. The meeting adjourned at 7:04 p.m.

Sources: City of Aledo: approved minutes, Jan. 8, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo: agenda, Jan. 8, 2026 (CivicClerk); City of Aledo meetings portal