Crandall residents will have an opportunity tonight to weigh in on rules that could influence how the rapidly growing city develops for years to come.
The City of Crandall will hold a Unified Development Code Community Open House from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, August 27, at the Crandall Municipal Court Chambers, 104 East Trunk Street.
The city is working with planning and engineering consultant Kimley-Horn on a comprehensive update of Crandall’s Unified Development Code, commonly called the UDC.
What Is the UDC?
The Unified Development Code contains the regulations Crandall uses to control the use and development of land.
It covers zoning, subdivision regulations, design standards and the procedures developers and property owners must follow when seeking approval for development.
Those rules can affect issues residents see throughout a growing city, including lot sizes, building design, landscaping, streets, drainage, infrastructure, parks, trails, signage and the layout of new subdivisions.
The city says the project is intended to make its development regulations easier to understand, eliminate inconsistencies and align the code with Crandall’s long term planning goals.
Growth Makes the Issue More Important
Crandall is considerably larger than it was just six years ago.
The 2020 U.S. Census counted 3,860 residents in the city. The North Central Texas Council of Governments estimated Crandall’s population at 6,751 as of January 1, 2026.
That represents an increase of nearly 2,900 residents, or about 75 percent, from the 2020 Census count.
NCTCOG estimated that Crandall added more than 1,000 residents between January 2025 and January 2026 alone, a one year increase of 17.4 percent.
That growth means decisions involving new subdivisions, roads, drainage, utilities, commercial development and housing standards have increasingly significant consequences for both existing and future residents.
City Has Already Identified Issues
The UDC process began before tonight’s meeting.
During an earlier diagnostic workshop, participants identified several areas they believed needed attention in Crandall’s development regulations.
Among the issues were contradictions within the existing code, sections that were difficult to understand, unclear platting requirements, questions about city authority within Crandall and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, and the need for stronger development standards.
The process also identified concerns involving development quality and small residential lots, along with a desire to encourage additional investment and activity in Downtown Crandall.
The broader update is also designed to bring development regulations into closer alignment with the city’s Envision Crandall Comprehensive Plan, including its goals for future land use, transportation, downtown development, public infrastructure, parks, trails, drainage and resiliency.
Tonight’s Meeting Is Part of a Larger Process
Thursday’s open house is the second scheduled community meeting on the UDC project. The first was held March 5.
According to the city, another community meeting is expected sometime between November and January, with the exact date still to be announced.
The process includes work with a Technical Advisory Committee as well as public participation while drafts of the updated development code are prepared.
For residents, tonight’s meeting provides an opportunity to learn what is being considered before the new regulations are finalized and to raise concerns about how future development should look and function.
For a community that has grown by roughly three quarters since the 2020 Census, the rules governing the next wave of development could have a lasting impact.
Tonight is an opportunity for Crandall residents to have a voice in those decisions.
