The Town of Fairview is dedicated to environmental principals and guidelines that enhance our town for our citizens today and in the future. 

Mission

Our Environmental Mission: To advance and support sustainable development and public health through comprehensive environmental protection, conservation, and effective resource management; implement federal, state, and local environmental statutes and regulations; integrate the Town’s built and natural environments through responsible development practices, appropriate environmental stewardship, and sound environmental science; foster and ensure a continuous public involvement and appreciation for the Town’s unique and invaluable natural surroundings.

 

Additional Resources:

wwwHeard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

wwwTexas SmartScape

wwwTexas Commission on Environmental Quality

wwwTexas Parks & Wildlife Department

wwwTexas Railroad Commission

wwwTexas Water Development Board

 

Water Management

Storm Water Management

Storm Water Management: Storm water runoff is collected in the Town’s storm water drainage system and is released – untreated – into the local waterways. Pollutants that are discharged onto the ground are transported into the storm water system by rain and surface runoff. These contaminants eventually end up in our local waterways and degrade our drinking water supply. Read more.


Water Management

Water Quality

Water Quality: The North Texas Municipal Water District, from whom the Town of Fairview purchases all of its treated water, publishes a report each year in compliance with state law that describes water quality. The Town of Fairview also publishes an annual report in compliance with state law that describes the quality of water it provides to consumers.

.... Read more.


Water Management

Focus on Water

 

Water Conservation is not only the right thing to do, but as the town and county continue to grow, it will become more and more important to ensure there is enough water to go around. To do your part, try these suggestions from the North Texas Municipal Water District, suppliers of treated water to Fairview utility customers ... Read more.

Lighting

Lighting

In 1999, the Town Council adopted a series of restrictions and guidelines designed to limit glare, reduce unnecessary light, and control other light pollution. Unlike traditional lighting that allows spillover light onto adjacent properties and wastes huge amounts of light that is directed skyward, Fairview has been very careful to ensure adequate lighting only where it is needed. You can see the difference as you approach Fairview from a distance at night.

Instead of a glowing sky that blocks the stars like in other cities, you'll see dark skies, stars, and plenty of nature. 

 

Purpose and Intent of Outdoor Lighting RegulationsTo regulate the installation and use of outdoor night lighting fixtures in the town and improve nighttime public safety, utility and security by restricting the nighttime emission of light rays which are sources of light trespass and unnecessary glare and are detrimental to the safety and security of persons, property, and vehicular traffic. Unwanted nighttime light detracts from the traditional aesthetic values of the town; the town wishes to limit light pollution and preserve the naturally dark skies.

 

 Applicability of Outdoor Lighting Regulations:

  • The provisions of Article 3.14 Outdoor Lighting shall apply to all outdoor lighting within the town regardless of purpose, except that active public safety operations of the town shall be exempted. In addition to the provisions of this article, outdoor lighting installations in the Commercial Planned Development District (CPDD) shall also comply with lighting standards established in Ordinance 2014-9-11B, as amended or may be amended in the future. Unless noted otherwise, lighting standards established for the CPDD in Ordinance 2014-9-11B, as amended or may be amended in the future, shall supersede in the event a conflict exists with the provisions of this article.
  • Existing outdoor fixtures that are nonconforming but were legally installed prior to the effective date of this article are excluded for the duration of their useful lives. However, the owners and operators of such currently installed lighting shall shield or adjust their lighting to eliminate glare and prevent light trespass, where required by the shielding requirements.
  • A lighting plan shall be filed whenever a landscape plan is required as part of a plat. A landscape plan is required when any building, construction, or development requires platting or site plan approval.
  • Outdoor lighting installations shall comply with all applicable building and electrical codes of the town, state, and federal government.
  • The town commits to making use of adaptive controls and/or curfews during nonactive hours in any future installation of municipally-owned lighting that wasn't installed for the purposes of public safety.

 

 Creation of Lighting Districts: The zoning districts established in these regulations are consolidated into lighting districts to allow for uniform lighting from one district to the other. The lighting districts are as follows:

(1)   District 1. Includes the CPDD. The boundaries of the CPDD are established in Ordinance 2014-9-11B, as amended or may be amended in the future. Said ordinance is available electronically on the town planning department's webpage and a copy is kept as an official town record in the custody of the town secretary's office.

(2)     District 2. Includes all areas outside of the CPDD.

 

Important Documents:

Article 3.14 Outdoor Lighting

CPDD Lighting Requirements (as of Amendment: Ord. No. 2017-28, adopted 12/5/2017) Contact Planning Dept. to confirm current CPDD regulations  

Lighting Districts Map

Examples of Acceptable and Discouraged Light Fixtures

Dark Sky Ordinance Summary with Lighting District Map and Lighting Examples

Dark Skies Lighting Tips

Green

Focus on "Green" Principles

Energy Conservation

  • Create economic incentives for users of solar and wind power. Businesses that voluntarily use alternative energy sources could be given incentives, such as higher densities or FARs, or rebates and reductions in certain fees and charges.
  • Use solar and/or wind energy town projects. The town should lead the way by utilizing alternative energy on traffic beacons, irrigation systems, buildings, etc. We already use alternative fuels in some of our vehicles.
  • Encourage the use of light motion sensors, efficient light fixtures, and “daylighting.” Office buildings are notorious wasters of electricity. Office lights are commonly turned on in the morning and left on all day regardless of whether or not they are needed. Motion detectors will turn lights automatically if no one is in a room. Modern fixtures and bulbs can reduce energy used by the actual bulb by more than half, and further reduce energy by generating less heat. The use of windows and skylights can also reduce the need for excessive lighting, both in the amount installed and the degree to which it is used.
  • Encourage the energy-efficient orientation of streets. Houses that have their main faces oriented north and south can have their energy bills reduced by as much as 30%. This simple measure can therefore have significant impacts on total energy consumed, and so wherever possible, streets should be laid out to encourage this orientation.

Sustainable Development

  • Adopt CLIDE principles as Fairview’s principles. The NCTCOG has adopted ten principles for growth. The town should adopt those same principles as its own. They include: development options, efficient growth, pedestrian design, housing choice, activity centers, environmental stewardship, quality places, transportation efficiency, resource efficiency, and implementation.
  • Adopt a green building ordinance. Frisco is the first in the country and still to date the only area city to adopt a true green ordinance governing residential construction. Requirements include Energy Star designation, and minimum standards for water conservation, indoor air quality, and waste recycling.
  • Utilize the town newsletter for monthly environmental education. Education is key to encourage citizens to voluntarily adopt environmentally friendly behaviors. We now run periodic articles, but should make a more concerted effort.
  • Require LEED certification on all new occupied municipal buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council has adopted a green building rating system, called Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design that scores buildings and places them in categories that include un-certified, certified, silver, gold, and platinum. The certified level is both achievable and worthwhile.
  • Encourage LEED silver or gold certification for privately owned buildings. Using density and FAR incentives to encourage builders to achieve higher levels of LEED certification would put Fairview in the forefront of environmentally sensitive growth. The town might also wish to require the certified level for buildings of a certain size, say over 20,000 square feet.
  • Fund strategic purchases of open spaces, floodways, and park land. On an annual basis, the town needs to set aside funding for such preservation. The land will never be cheaper and there will never be any more land.
  • Preserve special environmental areas. Many areas can never be replicated and provide Fairview with much of its uniqueness. Streams, floodplains, the 83 acre nature preserve along Wilson Creek, an area recently identified by the Nature Conservancy as environmentally significant, etc. need to be protected from development. The City of Denton has a very good ordinance entitled “Environmentally Sensitive Areas” that could be used as a model in Fairview.
  • Preserve historical & cultural landmarks. These features, whether manmade or naturally occurring, are also a part of a community’s unique characteristic, and likewise are by nature scarce and deserving of protection. A preservation ordinance has been drafted and will need to be adopted by the town to ensure that local landmarks do not disappear.
  • Implement rural zoning/preservation. Denton has an excellent ordinance that helps protect the rural/agricultural nature of some sections of that city. That ordinance would be a good model for Fairview to follow in also protecting its agricultural roots and continuing farm uses.
  • Adopt a public art ordinance. An ordinance that requires developers of non-residential property to include public art as a part of their developments adds to the quality of life on any community.
  • Encourage mixed use development. Such development means shorter streets and utility lines, more pedestrian trips, shorter vehicle trips, etc. The CPDD ordinance has done an excellent job of this. Zoning on land near the airport should probably follow the same general pattern.

Less Intrusive Development

  • Maintain existing terrain whenever possible in lieu of re-grading. By disturbing construction sites less when building, tree canopies and other vegetation are maintained, and pollution, erosion, and stormwater flows are reduced.
  • Co-locate public parks and schools. Placing town parks and schools contiguous to one another reduces both parking and construction, and can reduce the number of vehicle trips.
  • Improve cul-de-sacs. Existing dead ends should be capped with new cul-de-sacs to reduce vehicle time and property damage. All cul-de-sacs, both old and new, should have islands placed in them to reduce paving and impervious surfaces.
  • Encourage cluster development. This style of development, also called conservation development, leaves the number of residential units per acre the same, but clusters them close together and surrounds them with large open spaces. Such development encourages residents to know their neighbors, aids in crime prevention, causes less disturbance of ground/nature, requires significantly less infrastructure, and ensures more open space. The eastern portion of Fairview, plus areas in our ETJ to the east would be ideal for this type of development.
  • Consider reducing setback requirements. Lower front setbacks shorten driveways and lower side setbacks can shorten roads. Both result in less pavement.
  • Retaining trees. Fairview’s tree preservation ordinance should be evaluated and revised to make sure trees are truly protected, not just replaced. Protecting trees improves not only the aesthetics of a community, but also reduces erosion and impacts on wildlife.

Air Quality

  • Ensure hike & bike trails are constructed with all new collectors and above. By making walking options comfortable, safe, convenient, and attractive, more walking and less driving will occur.
  • Connect cul-de-sacs with linear parks/trails. A trail system to connect dead end roads will encourage walking in lieu of driving.
  • Establish standards for proximity of residential units to public spaces. Some cities have adopted standards requiring that 80% of houses within a development be within 1/8 of a mile of a public space. Public spaces include schools parks, open spaces, municipal facility, etc. Such standards encourage walking.
  • Ensure an efficient transportation system. Besides time wasted and aggravation to drivers and their passengers, poor signalizations, lack of appropriate turn lanes, long blocks, significant separation of residential from retail uses, too few lanes for the amount of traffic present, etc. all contribute significantly to air pollution.
  • Require bike racks/storage at municipal buildings and large private buildings. Many workers will not ride a bicycle to work if there is not safe location to store their bikes.
  • Trail to Lake Lavon. Acquire easements to connect Fairview east to the shore of the lake and construct an eight to twelve foot wide trail for walking and biking. Equestrian trails could also be added, especially from cluster development in that part of town.
  • Require sidewalks to and fronting on all new schools. Children should be encouraged to walk to school whenever possible. Also, if parks are successfully co-located with schools, visitors to those parks will also be encouraged to walk or bike.

Solid Waste

  • Consider PAYT options. Pay as you throw weighs or otherwise measures the amount of garbage placed for collection and penalizes large users, encouraging re-use and recycling.
  • Operate a recycling drop-off site. The town could encourage certain types of recycling by establishing a drop-off site at town hall.
  • Provide mulching of Christmas trees and other vegetation. The town could provide twice a year mulching in January and April, thereby reducing the amount of waste going to landfills and encouraging mulching.
  • Prohibit grass clippings in MSW. Prohibiting the placement of grass clippings in the municipal solid waste stream will encourage leaving grass on the lawn and composting.
  • Approve a single solid waste franchise, with standards. A franchise would reduce the number of trucks on town streets (positively affecting air quality and road maintenance), fix responsibility for any specific road damage or service issues that might occur, and also generate some franchise revenues that could be used for road maintenance, trail construction, or recycling education.
  • Require recycled content in parks construction materials. Benches, picnic tables, etc. as well as similar public space furniture, should be required to have recycled content.
  • Use site controls to manage litter. Inlet controls and wind breaks can be very effective in preventing litter and blown debris from being discharged into waterways and onto private and public properties.