After a month of deliberation, the Houston City Council has adopted a measure regulating high-rise developments near residential areas.

After a period of considerable debate, the Houston City Council has adopted new regulations to govern the construction of high-rise buildings near residential, single-family developments.

According a piece in the Houston Business Journal on the ordinance, the regulations establish a buffer zone between single-family homes and high-rise developments that are taller than 75 feet. Any development that is built near a local street must have a 40-foot buffer, while developments near collector streets must maintain a 30 foot buffer.

Additionally, if the high-rise is near a residential home in an area deemed for residential purposes, the Journal reports that a buffer is required with a 10-foot landscape, trees and an eight-foot-tall fence.

We have been charting the progress of the “Buffer Ordinance” since it was reintroduced at a public meeting in late November. Last week, when the ordinance was first introduced to the city council, it faced some opposition from Houston residents who wanted a larger buffer zone.