Apparently, my post about the Chron article that was subheaded Houston panel urges zoning on development in neighborhoods got mailed around a bit, and as a result I wound up speaking to Planning Commission committee member Mark Sterling, who helped me understand what this is really all about. Here's the gist of it:

1. That subhead was not accurate, and apparently the Chron reporter was not happy about it. Reporters don't write headlines, so these things do happen. Apparently, the Chron ran a corrected version on Tuesday that did not include the Z word in it.

2. What the committee is doing now is based on the lot size and setback ordinance that was proposed in February. Basically, this would impose similar requirements for the height and width of single-family dwellings all structures. In this case, for blocks that qualify for the protection, maximum height and width are set to be at the 70th percentile for the block.

3. To qualify, a block must be at least 60 percent single family dwellings, and must be inside the Loop. This is to weed out blocks that are mostly commercial, though as noted in the prior point, a commercial structure on a 60% SFD block would be subject to the same restrictions. They considered limiting it to specific neighborhoods, but rejected that for the less complicated approach. There is still discussion over whether the ordinance should apply everywhere inside the Loop, or if it should be limited to specific neighborhoods.

4. Both new construction and additions to existing dwellings are covered.

5. Obviously, this method will have some holes in it. If you happen to be a bungalow owner on a block that is mostly three-story townhouses, you'll be out of luck. No ordinance can cover everything, but this one should cover most places that will benefit from it.

6. A key to this will be making sure that the relevant information is available to all interested parties, so that builders can know what their limits are before they pour a slab or build some piers. The lot size/setback ordinance would put the onus of those calculations on the Planning Department. I asked Sterling about this for the height/width requirements, and at this time it is still an open question. How much it would cost to provide the necessary information, and how that cost might be funded if need be, are also still big open questions.

7. Pretty much everything is still a work in progress, and the final product may look different from what is now on the table. Sterling sent me this presentation of the current proposal (PDF) if you want to get a feel for the thought process.

There should be a Chron story in the This Week section for the Heights tomorrow. I'll link it when I see it.

UPDATE: I have made some corrections to the above based on subsequent feedback from Mark Sterling.