The Fort Worth Board of Adjustment has been handling a high volume of sign-related requests, with nearly 55% of commercial cases in the first half of 2026 involving signs. The board handles commercial and residential requests for variances or special exceptions to the city’s various zoning ordinances, including those governing signs.

Sign Regulations

The city’s sign ordinances are intended to protect the visual character of neighborhoods and commercial corridors by controlling the size, location, lighting, and type of signs allowed. However, these regulations can sometimes create tension with business owners, especially national corporations that want to maintain their usual brand standards at newly built outlets in Fort Worth.

At the board’s June 17 meeting, all three commercial cases were sign-related. One case involved a variance request for a 15-foot-high monument sign to mark the entrance to a new Dave & Buster’s restaurant and arcade. The zoning for that area prescribes a maximum monument-sign height of 8 feet. The board ultimately denied the request, with seven of the 11 members voting no.

Another case involved a request for special exceptions to allow two monument signs with electronic changeable copy to be installed at a new 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station. The board approved a requested exception for a sign at the southern property line but rejected the special exception for the sign that would be closest to the neighborhood.

The board also reviewed 17 residential cases and heard a special exception request for electronic changeable copy on a 33-foot-tall highway sign at an existing Valero gas station. The board unanimously approved the request, citing a clear safety benefit to having the sign content electronically changed.

Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.