Master Plan/Visioning Committee

Capital Campaign

DHCS is happy to report that the results of our Capital Campaign now allow us to move ahead with our Overland Partners Consulting planning project! Our deep appreciation goes out to all our donors whose generosity is enabling DHCS to take this important step. This project will allow us to develop a conceptual plan for downtown Driftwood and identify and other special character areas in the Driftwood Core Area that we want to be especially proactive in preserving and enhancing. Overland has great experience helping communities like ours work out action plans for conserving their scenic qualities, historic legacies and unique characters. We look forward to our work with them!

Growth is coming, but it doesn’t have to mean we lose what’s special about Driftwood! Please consider joining Donna Burns, Discovery and our many other donors by making a tax-exempt contribution to our capital campaign today!

Funding Opportunities

Oak: $5,001 - $8,000

Pecan: $1,001 - $5,000

Elm: $501 - $1,000

Sycamore: $101 - $500

Rose: $1 - $100

Donate

Purpose and Role of the Committee

The Committee is developing recommendations and guidelines in the form of a planning report that will be used to preserve, improve, inform and influence future development patterns consistent with the greater Driftwood community vision.

Committee meetings are held the first Wednesday at 6 pm (prior to the RAP meeting) and third Tuesday at 6 pm, in the community center unless otherwise noted. Check the calendar for updates.

Committee Members

Allison Allen, RAP Liaison
Ray Beets
Rick Brennes
Susie Brennes
David Braun
Linda Brown
Donna Burns
Casey Cutler
Venita Fuller
Doug Harrison
John Jones
Robin Melanson
Kasey Mock
Mike Pruitt
Mark Rutledge
Roy Thornton,
Nancy Thornton

Contact: planning@driftwoodhcs.org

Current Projects

Sign Standards

The objectives of the Sign Standards for the Driftwood Historical Conservation Society (DHCS) are:

(A) to maintain Driftwood and Onion Creek Valley’s (OCV) rural aesthetics.
(B) to support private signs which do not overload the public’s capacity to receive information,

(C) to support private signs which do not hinder public safety by increasing the probability of an accident, either by distracting attention or by obstructing vision and

(D) to support only a limited number of signs which aid orientation and identify activities or uses.

A large part of the mission of the DHCS is to protect and enhance the Driftwood/Onion Creek Valley’s rural natural beauty. We believe the more the OCV’s natural beauty is preserved, the more beneficial it will be for residents, developers, and commercial businesses. In keeping with this mission, the following sign standards are strongly encouraged.

For Sign Standard information, please click on your following specifics:

General Requirements of Signage

Permanent Signs

Office including Medical Office and Service Centers

Retail Signs

Building Mounted Signs

For Sale Signs

Temporary Signs

The Dark Sky Initiative

The DHCS aligns the Driftwood/Onion Creek Valley with Dripping Springs regarding the International Dark Sky Initiative, because we believe it is critical in preserving the environmental natural history in the entire region.

The Wimberley Valley, which encompasses the cities of Woodcreek and Wimberley, was also officially designated the third International Dark Sky Community in Texas on June 11 by the The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). For a full article with more information, see the Hays Free Press article from June 20:

https://haysfreepress.com/2018/06/20/wimberley-valley-cities-go-dark/

The International Dark Sky Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, advocates for the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating policymakers and the public on the subject of night sky conservation and by promoting environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.

Dripping Springs was recognized by the IDA in 2014 as an International Dark Sky Community, the very first designation in Texas.

Protecting A Cultural Legacy

“The history and culture of the Hill Country is intimately tied to its sky, particularly its night sky,” explained John Cassidy, President of the Board of Trustees of the Pound House Foundation, a local Dripping Springs historic preservation group. “Whether sitting around a campfire or sitting in the darkness of their homesteads, those who went before us understood this land in a fundamental way that we must preserve. The clear view of the stars at night is a resource that must be saved and passed along to future generations.”

IDA established the International Dark Sky Places conservation program in 2001 to recognize excellent stewardship of the night sky. Designations are based on stringent outdoor lighting standards and innovative community outreach. Since the program began, five communities including Dripping Springs, thirteen parks and five reserves have received International Dark Sky designation.

For more information on the DHCS’s Dark Sky initiative and proper lighting potentials for your home and commercial projects, please go to:

http://darkskysociety.org/handouts/LightingPlanGuidelines.pdf