Neighbors press council over North End Prairie plan; developers and residents give conflicting accounts

Neighbors and the development team clashed over the North End Prairie proposal during public comment at the March 11 Bastrop City Council meeting, with residents saying they were not adequately informed and developers saying the project has been under review for years and includes engineered drainage protections.

Why it matters: the proposal — described by speakers as roughly 42 homes on about 4 acres between Pecan and Hill Street — affects existing homeowners' drainage, parking and neighborhood character. Several speakers urged the council to insist on transparency, careful drainage review and protections for current residents before final approvals.

What residents said: Heather Green, a resident at 2007 Pecan Street, told the council she spoke on behalf of herself and 12 neighbors and said they had received inconsistent or late information about the project. "This development is a proposed 42 home establishment on a mere 4 acres," Green said, and raised concerns including parking, narrow internal streets, increased traffic and the lack of a complete, approved drainage plan. She described prior neighborhood flooding in 2016 and said residents fear repeated flooding without a confirmed drainage solution.

Developer response and timeline: Tom Leibowitz, who presented on behalf of the project team, told the council the project team has worked on the site since a purchase in August 2021 and submitted a neighborhood regulating plan in August 2022. Leibowitz said staff approved a preliminary drainage plan in August 2024 that includes an on-site retention pond and underground storm pipes and that the developers later submitted a preliminary plat and a grandfathering application asking to proceed under development rules in place when the project began. "City staff approved our preliminary drainage plan on August of 2024," Leibowitz said, adding that the plan "includes an on-site water retention pond and underground storm water pipes. The new drainage infrastructure will provide better protection for every level of storm than the site does currently."

Nonprofit and affordability claims: Jody Smith, who said the project team formed the Homes for Good Foundation to carry the project forward, said the development is mission-driven and not intended to generate profit for the developers. Smith said the team is talking with nonprofit partners to support homebuyer readiness and lending programs for households up to about 80% of area median income; she said the model could help teachers and other local employees qualify for homeownership.

Process and next steps: City staff and the council discussed procedural steps for plat review and grandfathering requests. The transcript records that the preliminary plat was under review and that staff will hear requests for grandfathering status at the Development Review Committee on March 20. If staff denies a grandfathering request, the transcript records the appeal path: city manager, then zoning board of adjustment, then district court if necessary.

What the record does not show: council did not take a final vote on the North End Prairie project in this session. The meeting record contains multiple public comments and developer statements and shows the application remains under staff review and subject to formal appeal procedures.

Community voices: the meeting included multiple public commenters urging more transparency and asking council to schedule public discussion; at the meeting council directed staff to schedule a public meeting on North End Prairie for wider community discussion.