TXDOT proposes billboards rules that permit billboards to 85 feet high.
A Sunset bill author, TX Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville says:
- Intent was to only grandfather in existing signs above the 42.5 foot limit.
- New billboards would have to comply with current 42.5 foot limit according to Sunset
- Existing signs below 42.5 cannot exceed 42.5 feet
What’s the property right issue at play? Existing billboards that were built under 1986 rules that had no height limitations
The opposition: Scenic Texas
The complication: The 2017 Texas Legislature also attempted to create new billboard regulations to correct for the Texas Supreme Court Ruling in The State of Texas v. Clear Channel Communication.
Houston Chronicle | Activists fear Texas law will allow 85-foot-tall billboards
Scenic Ft. Worth | Ft. Worth Star Telegram | Everything’s bigger in Texas, but 85-foot billboards?