Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sign Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City of Bandera approves three sign variances to allow Texas Partners Bank to reface freestanding sign
Summary
The City of Bandera approved three variances to let Texas Partners Bank reface a nonconforming freestanding sign at 811 Main Street after a corporate name change; city staff said the LED portions remain noncompliant under the updated electronic-message-sign rules and the council granted the variances by voice vote.
At a City of Bandera meeting, members approved three variances to the city’s sign ordinance so Texas Partners Bank can reface a freestanding sign at 811 Main Street following the bank’s name change from Texas Hill Country Bank.
City staff member Stephanie said a design permit application was filed in September and ‘‘All that needs to be done to this sign is to change the existing panel.’’ Because the sign is nonconforming, she told the body the ordinance requires either bringing the sign into full compliance or granting variances to allow the update.
The variances the applicant requested cover three specific areas: the overall freestanding sign height (existing 20 feet vs. 15-foot maximum), the LED display area (existing 25.5 square feet vs. 24-square-foot maximum) and the LED panel height (existing roughly 17 feet 7.75 inches vs. 12-foot maximum). Stephanie said the packet includes the 2018 permit showing the prior reserved variance and staff’s review of current ordinance language.
During discussion, an applicant representative and several meeting members expressed concern that routine sign-face updates can create an undue burden on small businesses when ordinances change. One member said the council should ‘‘relook up this ordinance’’ so that businesses replacing faded panels are not forced to seek council variances for minor face changes.
Staff said the city has updated its electronic-message-sign rules since 2018 and that, on the facts presented, the LED portions of this sign remain noncompliant under the current ordinance. The council confirmed it could attach conditions to any new variance to carry forward protections from earlier permits.
Speaker 3 moved to approve the request; Speaker 5 seconded. The motion to grant the three variances for the single freestanding sign was approved by voice vote, with members answering ‘‘all in favor’’ on the record. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or any conditions placed on the motion in the spoken record.
Next steps: staff holds the application materials and the updated ordinance language in the packet; any formal conditions or permit paperwork will be reflected in the final permit issued to the applicant.
