Commission refers three downtown digital-sign pilot cases to Design Review Committee after public opposition

After extended public comment opposing digital billboards in historic and downtown areas, the Historic and Design Review Commission voted on Sept. 17 to send three pilot digital-sign cases (agenda items 4, 5 and 6) to the Design Review Committee (DRC) for further study.

Members of the public, including representatives of local preservation groups and several residents, urged the commission to reject or further scrutinize the proposal, arguing the scale and illumination would harm the downtown historic fabric and nearby historic buildings. Staff and applicants described the cases as part of a city pilot program and said permitting will require compliance with the Unified Development Code (UDC) and Chapter 28 requirements; staff also said some reviews (for visibility from state rights-of-way) will require TxDOT review, which can take about three months.

Commissioners questioned whether the pilot’s guidelines were sufficiently detailed for historic districts and requested DRC review to examine proportions, placement, structural attachment details, visibility, lumen limits, site plans and how the signs would affect adjacent historic properties — notably around Auditorium Circle and the Riverwalk. Commissioners also asked for engineering and attachment drawings and a clear explanation of how the pilot limits (maximums per district, visibility corridors, and removal triggers) would be enforced.

Motions to refer each case to the DRC were seconded and passed unanimously; no final approval of the digital sign installations was made at the HDRC meeting.