Board approves freestanding sign for ACL Live block with nighttime dimming and brightness caps

The Austin Board of Adjustment on March 9 approved a sign variance for RHP Block 21 LLC (the ACL Live/W Hotel block), allowing a pedestrian-oriented freestanding LED sign at the corner of West 2nd Street and Lavaca with conditions intended to address safety and light‑pollution concerns.

Richard Settle, speaking for the applicant, described two options considered for the property — a wall-mounted sign or a curved freestanding piece — and said the proposed freestanding curved sign better serves pedestrians and the corner’s design. “We propose a freestanding sign that doesn't quite meet the sign regulations… it will stand 30 feet tall and would be about 250 square feet,” Settle said, adding that the design had support from adjacent property owners.

Board members questioned visibility, potential driver distraction, and the sign’s programming. Bob Stockham, the project’s sign consultant, said the sign would be fully dimmable by photocell and could reduce brightness automatically at dusk. “It is fully dimmable… it will adjust as the light changes,” Stockham said, adding the sign can be set to go to single‑digit percentage brightness at late night.

After back-and-forth about scale and neighborhood impact, Board member Michael Von Olin moved to approve with conditions: a maximum overall height of 25 feet including the base (5-foot base + 20-foot sign), an overnight dimming/turn‑off schedule (the board settled on turning promotional content off after shows or by 2 a.m., with automatic photocell/sunrise reactivation), and an overnight maximum of approximately 10% brightness. The board clarified the programming and enforcement expectation: the sign’s brightness level and schedule must be set in the permit and is subject to enforcement if neighbors report non-compliance.

Board members voiced both aesthetic support for the design and concern about driving distraction and light pollution; several said they preferred compromise conditions to an outright denial. The motion passed; the board called the vote and the variance was granted with the listed conditions.

The applicant said programming control will be exercised by Ryman Hospitality and that neighbors were consulted; the board recorded the conditions as part of the approval, and staff will incorporate the brightness/dimming and timing conditions into the permit paperwork before final issuance.