§ 25-10-1. PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY.

(A)

This chapter establishes a comprehensive system for the regulation of signs within the City of Austin and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, to serve the following purposes:

(1)

To protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the City and its residents and to implement the policies of the City's Comprehensive Plan.

(2)

To allow adequate opportunity for free speech in the form of messages or images displayed on signs, while balancing that interest against public safety and aesthetic concerns impacted by signs.

(3)

To ensure that the design, location, construction, illumination, installation, repair, and maintenance of signs:

(a)

Does not interfere with traffic safety or otherwise endanger public safety;

(b)

Enhances and protects the aesthetic value of the City by reducing visual clutter that is potentially harmful to property values, economic development, and quality of life; and

(c)

Is consistent with the character of districts in which the signs are located, including areas specially designated for historic, scenic or architectural value.

(4)

To protect the safety and efficiency of the City's transportation system by reducing confusion and distractions to pedestrians and motorists, while enhancing motorists' ability to see pedestrians, obstacles, other vehicles, and traffic signs.

(5)

Recognizing the unique impact of off-premise advertising on public safety, visual aesthetics, and quality of life, to restrict new off-premise signs and minimize the impact of existing off-premise signs.

(6)

To prevent the inadvertent favoring of commercial speech over non-commercial speech, or favoring of any particular non-commercial speech over any other non-commercial speech based on its content.

(B)

The requirements of this chapter apply to signs within the planning jurisdiction.

Source: Section 13-2-850, 13-2-851(a), and 13-2-851(d); Ord. 990225-70; Ord. 031030-11; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20170817-072 , Pt. 1, 8-28-17.