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The Dripping Springs City Council has voted to extend the city’s Temporary Development Moratorium through May 21.
The extension of the moratorium was passed at the city council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 15, after a period of public hearing. The moratorium, which began on Nov. 18, 2021 and would have otherwise ended on Feb. 22, will now continue to affect permits for new development within Dripping Springs and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. As long as the moratorium continues, no city department will accept permit applications for development without an approved waiver or exception.
The moratorium is a pause for us to get a handle on two things: land use and public wastewater, explained Howard Koontz, planning director for the city of Dripping Springs. We need to make sure that, as a city, were providing adequate public facilities for our residents.
While council members acknowledged the impacts of rapid growth on responsible development especially in relation to wastewater there was disagreement on the extension regarding land use. As a result, the vote to extend was split with Council Members Taline Manassian, Wade King and April Harris Allison voting yes, Council Member Sherrie Parks voting no and Council Member Geoffrey
Tahuahua abstaining.
Over the past three months, city leaders met with developers and builders who had questions or concerns and approved over 20 waivers and exceptions primarily for ongoing projects. They also started the process of revisiting the citys comprehensive plan, studying land use and development throughout the citys limits and ETJ, according to a statement put out by the city.
The moratoriums extension is expected to allow the city to continue these efforts, said Dripping Springs Mayor Bill Foulds, Jr. The city will also have more time to review its policies on applications for municipal permits for construction and development, as well as update its requirements and processes for wastewater and transportation infrastructure.
The city plans to schedule input sessions for the public to comment on both the comprehensive plan and the development code update, said Lisa Sullivan, communications and marketing director for the city of Dripping Springs.
After this extension, the city will no longer be able to extend the moratorium for land use issues. The moratorium could only be extended further in relation to providing adequate wastewater infrastructure. A public notice and following public hearing would be required prior to any extension.
For more information on the Temporary Development Moratorium, visit cityofdrippingsprings.com/moratorium or contact the city’s planning department at [email protected].
