Bridgeport council approves plats, zoning variance and vending permit; orders demolition, denies facade grant

Bridgeport City Council members voted unanimously at their meeting to approve two final plats, grant a setback variance for a Woodville Court lot, adopt a specific-use permit for a freestanding ice-and-water vending machine and authorize removal of a substandard shed at 1504 Thirteenth Street. The council also denied a Main Street District façade grant after staff and the Main Street board found work had begun before council approval; the denied grant totaled $4,586.50.

The actions matter because they advance planned private development, clarify limits on façade-grant funding and respond to a recurring public-safety nuisance at a Thirteenth Street property. Council members said they intend to continue moving development projects forward while enforcing city codes.

The council approved a final plat for a 5,023-square-foot Kwik Trip store at 3370 South State Highway 101; Tariq Samuels, a company representative, told the council construction paperwork is under way and a typical build time for a store of this size is about 36 weeks. The council also approved the final plat for The Reserve at Bridgeport Phase 1, a project of about 16.63 acres that contains 61 single-family lots and three open-space lots. Developer Jason Lanzera said he hopes to have lots finished in the fourth quarter and rooftops starting in the first quarter of 2026.

Natalie Bilby, the citys development director, summarized a public-hearing request to reduce residential setbacks for a two-acre tract commonly known…