Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council tables planning‑and‑zoning administration overhaul; considers special‑use permits under moratorium
Summary
After an executive session, the Bastrop City Council voted to table proposed amendments to planning and zoning administration (Ordinance 25‑42‑82) until the first meeting in September. The council also heard several special‑use permit requests that will return to a special meeting or to the council after staff review.
The Bastrop City Council voted to table Ordinance 25‑42‑82, an amendment to the city’s planning and zoning administration code, until the council’s first meeting in September after a closed‑door review of investigative findings.
City Attorney Evan Jones told the council he had investigated concerns about past administrative practices related to planning approvals and solar permits and asked to discuss investigative findings in executive session before the public debate. “I would ask the council if we could recess into an executive session so I can discuss the investigative findings,” Jones said. The council moved into executive session and later returned and approved a motion to table the ordinance so staff could prepare public amendments and associated materials ahead of the public hearing and vote.
Why it matters: the proposed ordinance would reconfigure planning and zoning administration, reduce decision‑making authority of the current planning board (moving it to an advisory role) and eliminate a board of adjustments. Staff said the rework would coincide with a new, full‑time code enforcement officer and be brought back to the council for public review in September.
Council also addressed specific special‑use permit and commercial conversion requests that fall under planning and zoning rules while a moratorium and code review are in place. Two properties were discussed on the current agenda: 131 Elm Street (a delivery/retail use) and 331 Forest Avenue (an existing car wash proposed to become an ice‑cream/refreshment operation). Councilmembers and staff agreed to arrange a special meeting and site visits so staff and council can review documentation and property conditions; no final land‑use permits were adopted for those sites at this meeting.
Council emphasized that special‑use decisions generally are referred to the planning and zoning committee. Because the planning and zoning board is under a moratorium and the council is conducting a code rewrite, the council said it will process some permit decisions directly until the committee is reconstituted.
Ending: Ordinance 25‑42‑82 was tabled to the first September meeting. Staff and council agreed to convene a special meeting and site visits to consider the two special‑use requests and to return with paperwork and recommended findings.
