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Commission recommends UDC updates on design, landscaping and billboard rules; staff will send to council Dec. 11
Summary
Planning staff presented changes to UDC sections 9.5, 9.10 and 11.8 to add a points‑based incentive for exterior materials and articulation, allow alternative compliance and a fee‑in‑lieu for tree planting, and update billboard placement language to meet TxDOT requirements; the commission recommended the changes with two editorial corrections and will forward to Town Council for a public hearing on Dec. 11.
Nathan, a town planning staff member, summarized proposed amendments to the Unified Development Code affecting exterior construction/design standards (section 9.5), landscaping and tree protection (section 9.10), and sign definitions/requirements (section 11.8). He said the design changes add a points system that encourages masonry, secondary materials and articulation but does not mandate materials because certain material regulations are preempted by state law: "that is regulation of building materials has been preempted by state law... so this is not requiring them but it gives them additional ... points toward design requirements if they use those materials," Nathan said.
On landscaping, staff proposed clarifying P&Z's role in recommending alternative compliance for landscape plans (rather than calling it a variance) and adding an option for a fee‑in‑lieu of planting where easements or site constraints make planting impractical. For signs, staff explained earlier development agreement provisions required allowing a billboard at a recently annexed site and TxDOT now requires such allowances to be in the sign ordinance rather than a one‑off variance; the UDC update narrows permissible billboard placements to highway entry points within town limits and adjusts spacing requirements to reduce proliferation.
Chairperson opened the public hearing on these UDC amendments at 05:46; there were no public speakers. Commissioners noted minor editorial corrections (a misspelling and a masonry/stucco wording point). Commissioner 5 moved to approve the recommendation as amended with those text corrections; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Staff said the matter will go to Town Council for consideration on Dec. 11 and Council will hold its own public hearing.
