Dear Editor,

As I sat in this month’s City Council meeting, I was amazed to hear Councilman McClung chastise P & Z, yet again, for failing to bring the council a sign ordinance. Must he be reminded that Blanco has a sign ordinance, and has had for some time? Councilman McClung seems to believe that because individuals ask for variances to the ordinance, it must be flawed and should be changed so that no business would ever request a variance.

This logic seems to me to be similar to a parent setting a curfew for his teenager and expecting him to never ask for an exception. Of course he will. Does that mean that the curfew needs to be changed? Not likely.

Certainly there may be cases where a variance needs to be granted. But those cases should be rare, exceptional and be based upon circumstances that could not be replicated. There is no situation that would warrant a 120 square-foot sign in our small town, yet the Council granted such a sign. I can’t imagine that P&Z would suggest signs of that size be included in any modified ordinance.

Perhaps rather than repeatedly blaming P&Z for the variances that the Council continues to grant in spite of the Commission’s recommendations, the council members should stand firm in enforcing the ordinance we have in place, and trust the Commission to advise them based upon the guidelines that have been established with extensive public participation directing that we plan our growth with the goal of retaining Blanco’s “small-town charm.”

Respectfully,

Connie Barron