ADDITIONAL ZONING REGULATIONS

(a) The governing body of a municipality with a population of more than 290,000 that has adopted a comprehensive zoning ordinance under Subchapter A may, by ordinance, divide the municipality into neighborhood zoning areas after a public hearing on the matter at which parties in interest and citizens have an opportunity to be heard. Before the 15th day before the date of the hearing, notice of the time and place of the hearing must be published in an official newspaper or a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. (b) The mayor of the municipality, with the approval of the governing body, may appoint a neighborhood advisory zoning council for each of the neighborhood zoning areas. Each zoning council must be composed of five citizens who reside in the neighborhood zoning area. A zoning council member is appointed for a term of two years. (c) Each neighborhood advisory zoning council shall provide the zoning commission with information, advice, and recommendations relating to each application filed with the zoning commission for zoning regulation changes that affect property within that neighborhood zoning area. (d) On the filing of a zoning change application with the zoning commission, the zoning commission shall provide the appropriate neighborhood advisory zoning council with a copy of the application. The zoning council shall conduct a public hearing on the application and must publish notice of the time and place of the hearing in an official newspaper or a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality before the 10th day before the date of the hearing. (e) At or before the zoning commission's hearing on the zoning change application, the neighborhood advisory zoning council shall submit to the zoning commission any information, advice, and recommendations relating to that application that the zoning council considers proper. The zoning commission may not overrule a recommendation of the zoning council with respect to the disposition of the application unless at least three-fourths of the members of the zoning commission who are present at the meeting vote to overrule the recommendation.