Sign Ordinance Amendment
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2026 5:29 pm
Colleagues,
Below is an amendment to the billboard portion of the sign ordinance (Item 83) we are set to discuss on Thursday. The goal of my amendment is twofold: (1) to allow the relocation of a billboard that is being moved because of transportation improvements, such as Project Connect; and (2) to allow the relocation of a billboard when the tract is being redeveloped for residential uses.
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 172115.pdf
Allowing the relocation of a sign because of a transportation project reduces the money the city would have to pay to the billboard owner in any condemnation proceedings. We have lots of transportation projects moving forward and many more on the way. I want our transportation dollars to go toward the actual project and not to pay for the cost of condemning a billboard.
The second goal of the amendment is to allow billboards to be moved when the tract where the sign is located is redeveloped for residential purposes. There are many parcels of land in Austin that could be used for housing but currently have a billboard. This is not good use of that land. It doesn’t allow for housing to be built. It doesn’t increase our property tax base. And many of these signs are located in areas where neither the sign owners nor the neighborhoods residents want the sign to be. A good example are the neighborhoods around the Mueller neighborhood, where our airport used to be. There are many signs along Airport Blvd, Manor, and Springdale that were put there when the airport was there. They no longer belong there but they cannot be moved under our current rules.
Please note that this amendment does not allow any additional billboards in Austin. It simply allows existing billboards the ability to relocate when there is public benefit to their relocation.
Thank you for your consideration,
Chito
Below is an amendment to the billboard portion of the sign ordinance (Item 83) we are set to discuss on Thursday. The goal of my amendment is twofold: (1) to allow the relocation of a billboard that is being moved because of transportation improvements, such as Project Connect; and (2) to allow the relocation of a billboard when the tract is being redeveloped for residential uses.
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 172115.pdf
Allowing the relocation of a sign because of a transportation project reduces the money the city would have to pay to the billboard owner in any condemnation proceedings. We have lots of transportation projects moving forward and many more on the way. I want our transportation dollars to go toward the actual project and not to pay for the cost of condemning a billboard.
The second goal of the amendment is to allow billboards to be moved when the tract where the sign is located is redeveloped for residential purposes. There are many parcels of land in Austin that could be used for housing but currently have a billboard. This is not good use of that land. It doesn’t allow for housing to be built. It doesn’t increase our property tax base. And many of these signs are located in areas where neither the sign owners nor the neighborhoods residents want the sign to be. A good example are the neighborhoods around the Mueller neighborhood, where our airport used to be. There are many signs along Airport Blvd, Manor, and Springdale that were put there when the airport was there. They no longer belong there but they cannot be moved under our current rules.
Please note that this amendment does not allow any additional billboards in Austin. It simply allows existing billboards the ability to relocate when there is public benefit to their relocation.
Thank you for your consideration,
Chito