Bastrop planning commission approves multiple tree protections, sets replacement rules and sends fee proposal to legal review

Bastrop Planning and Zoning Commission members on Jan. 30 approved a package of amendments to the city’s tree protections, including lowering the ordinance caliper threshold to match state minimums, adding a required tree survey and new enforcement language, and setting minimum sizes and maintenance rules for replacement trees. Commissioners voted unanimously on each amendment; one related item — the detailed mitigation-fee schedule and specific penalty amounts — was tabled for city legal review.

The changes amend section 6.3.004 of the city code, staff said, and include a required tree survey and a clearer enforcement path. The commission approved language that replacement trees “shall be a minimum of 2 inches in diameter measured 12 inches above the ground and 5 feet in height when planted,” and that replacement trees must be maintained “in perpetuity” unless otherwise modified through the city’s variance process. The roll calls on the final motions recorded all seven commissioners voting yes: Ishmael Harris, Christopher Toth, David Barrow, Gary Moss, Patrice Parsons, Keith Alborn and Jeffrey Estes.

Why it matters: The package changes how development projects account for trees during site plans and plats. Requiring a tree survey and specifying replacement size and ongoing maintenance shifts more long-term responsibility to property owners and gives…