2018-105 Horse Drawn CarriagesDate: August 24, 2018 Report No. 2018-105
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Horse-drawn carriages in the Oak-Hickory Historic District and Downtown Denton
BACKGROUND:
Staff was asked by a representative of Historic Denton (a citizen group in the Oak-Hickory
Historic District) look into the possibility of allowing horse-drawn carriages for rides through the
Oak-Hickory Historic District and Downtown. At this time, City code does not allow for this use
(see below).
Sec. 6-28. - Livestock riding or driving.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to allow livestock to be driven or ridden upon any public
property; provided however, horses may be ridden on the unimproved or unpaved portion of the right-
of-way and the chief of police, or his designee, may authorize horses and other livestock to be ridden
or driven on the right-of-way under the authority of a parade.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to allow livestock to be driven or ridden on any private
property, except on the property of the owner of the livestock or by permission of the owner of the
property.
Current exceptions to the code allow horses at parades (Cinco de Mayo, North Texas Fair and
Rodeo, etc.) and events (Holiday Lighting).
A preliminary review of other DFW cities yielded the following:
Dallas has a formal ordinance that outlines fees, operating permits insurance, driver
qualifications and suspension /revocation of permits. The City conducts inspections of
vehicles to ensure they meet safety and cleanliness standards.
Fort Worth recently revamped their ordinance and now have “Rules and regulations for
non-motorized vehicles.” They define certain areas in which the carriages may conduct
business. Certain streets are “off limits” due to traffic and vehicular concerns and
congestion. They have also gone from a city regulated system to a more of a self-
regulated system by eliminating annual city inspections of carriages.
A few smaller cities in the Metroplex, such as Granbury and Jefferson, allow horse-
drawn carriages without permits or fees and see it at a tourism draw. Tourists enjoy
seeing a city at a slower pace and often the drivers have a script for the city’s history and
sites of interest that they will share during the ride.
Date: August 24, 2018 Report No. 2018-105
CONCLUSION:
As Denton becomes a more popular destination for tourists and weddings, requests for this sort
of service will increase. However, a number of policy questions must be considered, including:
traffic safety; permits, insurance and fees; maintaining the cleanliness of streets; days and hours
of operations; staging areas for horses, trailers, and other equipment; and other issues.
Staff will present this topic to the Downtown Task Force and the Main Street Association for
citizen input from both residents and business/property owners in the affected areas; residents of
the Oak-Hickory Historic District will be invited to attend these meetings. Pending feedback
from these meetings, staff will conduct further research and coordinate with the appropriate City
departments to develop a work session on the subject and present it to Council for direction.
STAFF CONTACT:
Julie Glover
940-349-7732
julie.glover@cityofdenton.com