Ashley Kontnier
DRIPPING SPRINGS— Less than a year after the most recent changes to the city’s sign ordinance, Dripping Springs City Council approved the adoption of revised sign regulations at its Sept. 15 meeting.
As previously reported by the News-Dispatch, changes were made in October 2025 to create a more simplified process for the public, while also maintaining the safety and aesthetics that are important to the city.
Since that time, city staff has been tasked with providing a comprehensive rewrite of the entirety of Chapter 26 (Signs) of the City of Dripping Springs Code of Ordinances. According to city attorney Aniz Alani, the goals of the rewrite include making the ordinance easier to follow for business owners and adding detailed standards to be considered for approval.
The city also engaged with local business owners and stakeholders to receive feedback on the proposed changes, some of which have been incorporated.
The new ordinance is meant to follow a six-step path and is organized in order of the steps:
• Chapter 1: Check prohibited signs
• Chapter 2: Confirm permit requirement
• Chapter 3: Identify property category
• Chapter 4: Apply universal rules
• Chapter 5: Check overlays/master plans
• Chapter 6: Request relief before fabrication
Additionally, the proposed ordinance includes quick reference tables, applicant checklists and design guidance.
“Appendix A is a quick reference table. You might remember from the current ordinance there is a quick reference table, but I observed it wasn't always obvious what order the rows in the table appeared in. So, we broke it up kind of by property type, so that you know where in the table to go look,” explained Alani. “Appendix B is a checklist meant to kind of walk someone through very quickly what they need to look at when they're putting together an application and Appendix E is design guidance. So, that is, they're not rules; they are essentially guidelines to articulate what the city is ideally looking for, without making them ironclad requirements, so that there's less uncertainty about whether a particular application should be approved or not.”
The ordinance will now apply “clearer, objective” guardrails to common signs:
• Banners: 90-day continuous display cap.
• A-frame signs: 6 square feet maximum, with a 3-foot maximum height and 5-foot accessible route.
• Digital displays: operational ordering, pricing and service screens are carved out from the general electronic sign ban.
• Window information: Maximum of 5 square feet. Hours, payment methods and similar operational information do not count toward the promotional window allowance.
Application and appeals are more defined, as well. Staff has five business days to provide a decision on application completeness. Then, the ordinance provides for seven calendar days to review real estate applications and 21 calendar days to review other permit applications. Any missed deadline provides the applicant immediate access to an appeal, which must be heard by council within 30 calendar days.
This section also provides administrative variance approval for “relatively minor” deviations from the code, while major or structural variances will still be required to be approved by city council.
Some of the final changes discussed include protections for existing signs. According to the presentation, previously lawful signs will not become unlawful solely because the ordinance has been replaced. Additionally, businesses have a minimum of 15 days to cure maintenance issues, unless immediate safety action is required.
Safety will also drive regulations on person-carried signs, along with location and obstruction, as opposed to the current code, which also takes message content into account. When it comes to decorating a galvanized storage tank, purely artistic upgrades are allowable, but if the tank will be used to advertise a business, a permit will still be required.
Council member Ana Grace Husted thanked staff for working quickly to provide the rewritten ordinance. She also mentioned that she is working with staff on a click-through process on the city’s website, so that businesses are able to walk through the portions of the ordinance that are applicable to them. She also hopes that this will cut down on the time staff spends in meetings on the topic.
Following her comments, Husted motioned to repeal the current ordinance and adopt the new version. The motion was approved 4-0. Council member Taline Manassian recused herself from the discussion and vote.
To listen to the full discussion, visit bit.ly/4cQl9bh.
