Planning commission recommends city consent to creation of Ironwood MUD after hours of public concern over traffic, drainage and water

The Bastrop Planning and Zoning Commission voted May 1 to recommend City Council consent to the creation of Bastrop County Municipal Utility District No. 5, a financing district proposed for the 289-acre Ironwood development west of State Highway 304 and north of Lower Red Rock Road.

The recommendation, approved by a majority vote with one no, included an amendment asking staff and the applicant to verify the district’s meets-and-bounds before the matter goes to council. The commission’s action sends the MUD consent to City Council, which is scheduled to consider the request at upcoming meetings in May.

The municipal utility district (MUD) petition would let the developer finance streets, water, wastewater, drainage and related infrastructure through bonds repaid from property taxes within the district. Ryan Harper, an attorney with Allen Boone Robinson who represents the MUD petitioners, told commissioners “the purpose of the district is to construct and finance the water, sewer, drainage, and road facilities, which those facilities will be conveyed to the city.” He said water service would be provided by AquaWater (within AquaWater’s CCN) and wastewater would tie into the City of Bastrop wastewater plant; detention facilities would remain owned and maintained by the district.

Why it matters: neighbors said the proposal could increase flooding, harm private wells and overload Highway 304 — concerns that would fall on city and state agencies as subdivision engineering, traffic…