Celina planners will consider a landscape-rule proposal that would give new residential projects more flexibility on grass and xeriscaping while changing requirements for commercial landscaping and HOA common areas. The October 22 hearing concerns proposed rules for new projects, not an instruction to tear out an existing lawn.
For new-home shoppers and neighbors following development costs, the useful distinction is between choices in a private yard and requirements in shared landscape areas.
When will the landscape proposal be heard?
The official Planning and Zoning Commission packet lists a public hearing on a landscaping and tree-preservation text amendment at the special called meeting Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 5 p.m., 112 N. Colorado Street.
Staff recommends approval. The presentation anticipates a council public hearing and adoption step in November; it does not establish that the council has already adopted the proposal, or give a verified November meeting date. Check the current agenda before attending.
Would new homes have to replace grass with rocks?
The residential proposal permits grass, xeriscape or a combination. Staff's presentation on packet page 35 describes removing a 30% restriction on xeriscape design, allowing different proportions in the front yard and side yard at a corner.
That does not mean a bare, impermeable front yard. The clean draft on page 75 calls for vegetative plantings within aggregate beds and retains required trees. It describes these standards for new homes before a certificate of occupancy. Back yards and interior side yards retain flexibility in design and materials.
Artificial turf remains a separate issue. The draft prohibits synthetic turf in yards visible from a public street, excluding an alley. A proposal offering drought-resistant landscaping choices should not be read as permission for every artificial surface.
How would HOA and commercial areas differ?
Landscape area | Staff's description of the proposal |
|---|---|
New residential front and corner side yards | Grass, xeriscape or a combination, with required trees and living plantings retained. |
HOA functional open space | Irrigation may remain for functional turf used for recreation and similar purposes. |
HOA non-functional open space | Xeriscape standards would apply, including roadway parkways. |
Non-residential and multifamily landscaping | Xeriscape design; a limited modification process is described for non-irrigated back-of-house turf. |
Landscape buffers | Irrigated turf would be removed from the permitted design described in the presentation. |
The functional/non-functional distinction matters. Staff describes functional turf through uses such as active recreation, athletic fields and playground turf. A grass area used for recreation is not automatically treated the same as decorative roadside grass. These descriptions come from the proposed text and staff presentation, not a final adopted interpretation for a particular property.
Does xeriscaping mean no plants or no irrigation?
Staff describes a lower-water landscape approach using plant selection and design. Its overview retains trees and decorative shrubs, including appropriate watering methods for them. It does not describe removing every plant or abandoning maintenance.
The policy presentation also acknowledges that xeriscape design can be costly. No installed price per square foot, household rebate or guaranteed water-bill saving was established in the reviewed packet. Ask for an actual site-specific design and quote before putting a savings figure into a home budget.
Does this change my existing HOA agreement?
The staff memo on page 25 and policy slide on page 39 say the proposed regulations would apply to new projects. They do not establish a blanket retrofit requirement for existing houses or declare private HOA covenants void.
For a particular lot, establish the project's approval status, applicable city standards and any association review process. A citywide hearing preview cannot decide those property-specific questions. Our moving-to-Celina guide provides broader address-based checks for new neighbors.
What should residents watch next?
Watch the commission's actual recommendation, any revised text and the later council notice. Staff also identifies potential follow-up changes to subdivision, engineering and building standards. Those future steps need their own records.
The same October 22 agenda includes a separate Kia land-use request. The two items have different scopes; neither is already adopted simply because it appears in the packet. For family recreation choices today, use our Celina kids guide.
Sources and limits
This report uses the city agenda, staff memorandum on pages 25–26, presentation on pages 27–40 and the clean residential draft on page 75, reviewed October 18. Key presentation pages were visually checked against the extracted text. No installed landscaping price, quantified water saving or property-specific legal determination is claimed.