Dripping Springs issues temporary moratorium on development due to reaching wastewater capacity

DRIPPING SPRINGS, TEXAS – The City of Dripping Springs will enact a Temporary Development Moratorium starting 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.”