Richardson staff presented plans to create a new unified development code in order to facilitate more efficient citywide development at the May 18 City Council meeting. The new code would consolidate various city development codes into one document regulating land use, development and signage across the city.

The big picture: City staff presented initial intentions to overhaul the comprehensive zoning ordinance in February, a set of regulations that tells property owners what they can do with their land and how. The comprehensive zoning ordinance has not been significantly updated since its adoption in 1956 and is out of date with current development needs, director of development services Tina Firgens said.

Why it matters: The unified development code would accomplish a range of action items set out in the Envision Richardson comprehensive plan to advance redevelopment and new development citywide, Firgens said. It could also help to increase affordable housing development, as the zoning in most areas in Richardson does not currently support townhomes, duplexes and other diverse housing types.

Ajeena Mediterranean Café & Bakery is set to open in Richardson this summer, offering both sweet and savory baked goods.

The details: Owner Abdul Rahman said the café is rooted in Palestinian and Lebanese heritage and will offer a mix of traditional and modern Mediterranean cuisine.

The name “Ajeena” means dough, Rahman said in an email, and the café’s specialties will include freshly baked mana’eesh, a Levantine flatbread.

• 515 W. Campbell Road, Ste. 109, Richardson

Texas officials released a draft of their next state water plan in April, projecting that state and local governments will need to spend $174 billion in the next 50 years to prevent a water crisis.

The details: The three-member Texas Water Development Board voted April 16 to publish an initial draft of the 2027 State Water Plan, laying out what is needed to prepare for a future “drought of record,” when water demands are highest and supplies are lowest.

The $174 billion price tag is more than twice the cost projected in Texas’ 2022 state water plan, which was $80 billion.

The context: As Texas’ population continues to grow, water restrictions and shortages are becoming more common in areas throughout the state. At the same time, major companies are moving to Texas and communities are contemplating large data center projects, with some residents expressing concerns about high water use in the already drought-prone state.

The proposed plan includes 3,000 proposed water management projects and 6,700 strategies to increase Texas' water supplies through 2080.