When we first met developer Terry Lantrip, he was standing in a grassy, empty lot describing his vision for a one-of-a-kind community. He just emerged victorious from the approval of the zoning ordinance for his tiny house development in Lake Dallas, Texas, inside the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. We met up as part of our documentation process for our documentary series, Living Tiny Legally, Part 3.
Now two years later, Terry is welcoming in the first several tiny homes into the Lake Dallas Tiny Home Village (LDTHV)—features a total of 13 landscaped lots, shared open space with firepit, a community garden, and a laundromat.
What makes this community development genuinely groundbreaking is that it is considered residential and intended only for moveable tiny houses, aka tiny houses on wheels— the first of its kind in the nation. It is not an old RV park, but a brand-new planned unit development within an existing neighborhood. Importantly, it is the first tiny house community to utilize the trailblazing Appendix Q—adopted for this specific use and amended to allow for moveable tiny houses.
All tiny houses in the community must:
- Comply with the IRC Appendix Q building standard
- Be tied down
- Utilize fire-resistant skirting
Ever since the initial approval, the big question has been, “what will the inspection and permitting process entail?”
The city of Lake Dallas has agreed to and requires:
- Issue permits for tiny houses that pass inspections from a Texas third-party inspector, or those with a NOAH certification.
- City inspections for water and sewer connections ($75), and electrical connection ($75). This requirement could change in the future.
Further, any RVIA certified movable tiny house will be required to go through the third-party inspection process to ensure it meets the Appendix Q, or reasonably matches the intent of the code.
In the event a tiny home fails inspection, the owner could go through a variance process with the city’s board of adjustments. It’s a two-month process with a fee of $500 per variance.
To date, two tiny houses with LDTHV lot reservations are undergoing third-party inspections by His and Hers Inspection Services LLC. Both homes need to make minor modifications to comply with the code; they are expected to pass once these are made. Of note, inspection costs start at $350.
LDTHV offers a desirable opportunity for those looking for an urban living experience, with the benefits of a small town. The village itself will be within walking distance to the quaint Lake Dallas downtown, two parks, a tennis court, and the library. It’s also only a short bike ride to lovely Lewisville Lake and a marina.
Of the 13 total lots, a couple are still available. Contact Terry Lantrip to learn more about lot reservations, or to hire him as a tiny house community development consultant.
To hear an extended behind-the-scenes take on the development process, listen to Lantrip’s recent Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast interview.
References:
*Note: Appendix Q was previously called Appendix V