Heath's Planning & Zoning Commission held a public hearing Thursday on a zoning change that would allow manufactured homes in the city's high-density residential district, a move the state requires by Sept. 1.

The commission considered amending the MF-8 High Density Multi-Family Residential District ordinance to permit HUD-code manufactured homes by right, according to a city notice posted Wednesday, Aug. 12. Texas Senate Bill 785, passed during the 89th Legislative Session in 2025, forces every city to allow manufactured homes in at least one zoning district mapped on its official plan.

The vote outcome was not available at press time. A second public hearing before the Heath City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The city stressed in its notice that the requirement covers manufactured homes as a physical structure only and has nothing to do with the HUD Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly known as Section 8.

Heath is not alone in scrambling to comply. Rockwall City Council addressed the same mandate at its July 20 meeting, choosing to allow manufactured homes by right in its Single-Family Estate 4.0 district, which requires lots of at least four acres. Under SB 785, cities may still require a Specific Use Permit for manufactured homes within 500 feet of an established subdivision.

Chairman James Tunnell presided over the P&Z hearing at Heath City Hall, 200 Laurence Dr.

Water supply keeps Heath out of Stage 2 restrictions

In the same notice, the city updated residents on water conservation. Heath's available supply has grown from roughly 6 million gallons per day in 2024 to about 7 million gallons per day this summer, keeping the city in its Conservation Stage, which allows twice-per-week irrigation through automatic systems.

Heath has not imposed Stage 2 restrictions, which would cut watering to once per week, since summer 2024.

The improvement traces to a Wholesale Water Purchase Agreement with the City of Rockwall that the council approved in April. "This is a big day for the City of Heath, as we have a Wholesale Water Purchase Agreement with the City of Rockwall," Mayor Jeremiah McClure said at the April 14 council meeting, adding the deal provides 6.5 to 7 million gallons per day for summer months with a plan to reach 9 million gallons per day over five years.

Looking further ahead, the council has funded a long-range Water Plan that includes a 1.5-million-gallon elevated storage tank on Governors Boulevard ($7.9 million), a 3-million-gallon ground storage tank at the city's pump station in Rockwall (estimated $6.5 million) and six potable water wells each capable of producing up to 1 million gallons per day. The first well, at Towne Center Park, cost $5.5 million and began producing water in March.

On July 28, the council also authorized a grant application to the Texas Water Development Board seeking up to $21 million in no-match state funding for the infrastructure expansion, as we reported Aug. 5.

Residents can track daily water usage at heathtx.com/water-wise/. The next City Council meeting with the manufactured housing second hearing is Tuesday, Aug. 25 at Heath City Hall.