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City to Enact Temporary Moratorium on Development

Posted on: November 10, 2021 - 9:00am
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November 10, 2021 – The City of Dripping Springs will enact a Temporary Development Moratorium on November 18, 2021. It will affect permits for new development related to subdivision, site planning, development, land use, and construction in the City limits and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction for both residential and commercial projects. During the moratorium, no City department will accept permit applications for development where a waiver has not been approved. If it is extended past November 27, 2021, applicants will be able to apply for exceptions or waivers.

The City of Dripping Springs recognizes the impact of rapid growth on providing for responsible development, especially as it relates to density, transportation, and the provision of wastewater. Currently, the City has reached its wastewater capacity. It is also in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance to accommodate land-use regulation issues. If approved, Dripping Springs will use the moratorium to give the City time for responsible development and future planning, so that commercial development ordinances or regulations and other applicable laws are adequate to prevent new development from being detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare of the residents of the city, while also addressing the need for sustainable infrastructure. 

“The City’s responsibility is to protect how our community grows, and sometimes, that requires us to make tough, but necessary decisions,” said Dripping Springs Mayor Bill Foulds. “It’s no secret how quickly we are growing. Enacting the temporary moratorium and giving serious consideration to an extension of that moratorium would allow us the needed time to update the City’s comprehensive plan and ensure our ordinances and regulations are appropriate for addressing this growth now and in the future. Our goal is to protect the treasured quality of life we have all come to know and love.”

The Temporary Development Moratorium will begin on November 18 and will be in effect until November 27, 2021, unless it is extended by the City Council. The City will hold public hearings where residents and affected parties may provide comment regarding the extension of the moratorium. The public hearings will take place at City Hall, located at 511 Mercer Street, Dripping Springs, Texas 78620, on the following dates and at these times:

  • Planning and Zoning Commission, Monday, November 15, 2021, 6:00 p.m.
  • City Council, Tuesday, November 16, 2021, 6:00 p.m.
  • City Council, Monday, November 22, 2021, 6:00 p.m.  The Council will vote on the extension of the Moratorium at this meeting. 

The City has set up a section on its website where developers and citizens can go for up-to-date information: cityofdrippingsprings.com/moratorium.

Developers or citizens with questions should contact the Planning Department at moratorium@cityofdrippingsprings.com.  Due to the anticipated high volume of inquiries on this matter, we request that all questions be submitted in writing.

All media inquiries should be directed to the Communications Department at 512-858-4725 or communications@cityofdrippingsprings.com.