Bee Cave City Council on Tuesday appointed a new member to the city's planning and zoning commission, honored the retiring presiding judge of Bee Cave Municipal Court, and approved a request for four additional signs despite inconsistency with city ordinance.

Gateway to Falconhead signs granted despite staff recommendation for denial

City Council granted a request for four additional signs on the exterior walls of two buildings at Gateway to Falconhead, which is located at the southeast corner of FM 620 and Falconhead Boulevard. The city’s sign ordinances allow each business located in a multi-tenant building to have “one sign per pedestrian way on which the building abuts and has a public entrance,” according to city documents. The request, however, sought to have signs on the opposite side of public entrances, which doesn’t comply with city ordinances, according to the city’s Senior Code Compliance Officer Mike Polley. Polley said city staff recommended denying the request because the developer failed to prove that special conditions restrict the effectiveness of the signs and are unique to particular businesses. Mac Holder, the owner of the buildings, said the request would enable the signs to be visible from FM 620 instead of Yellow Bell Boulevard. Due to an uphill topology, he said, signs facing Yellow Bell Boulevard as the city ordinance requires would be blocked from view by other buildings. Council Members Kara King and Mayor Monty Parker spoke in favor of the request, echoing Holder’s argument that signs facing FM 620 would help navigate inbound traffic to certain businesses. Council Member Marie Lowman, however, worried allowing for the variance would create a “slippery slope.” “I’m not sure what the hardship is. This isn’t a huge office complex,” Lowman said. “We have so many of these types of developments in our pipeline.” The council voted 4-2 in favor of the request, with Lowman and Mayor Pro Tem Bill Goodwin casting the two dissenting votes.

Bee Cave Municipal Court Judge David L. Garza retires

Judge David L. Garza, after presiding over the court for almost eight years, announced his retirement and delivered his final “State of the Court” address. Garza summed up the progress the court has made over the years, including annual revenue surpluses, a new fine schedule, reduction of paperwork and other improvements to the court’s efficiency.

New appointments to planning and zoning commission

With newly appointed City Council Member Andrew Clark's former position on the commission vacant, onto Clark nominated Kirk Wright, a member of the city’s comprehensive plan citizen advisory committee, as successor. The council also appointed Kevin Hight as the commission’s vice chairman and re-appointed Jim Norman as the chairman.