Applicant complains of six-week delay obtaining Leander special use permit for proposed game room

James Dortch, who said he is seeking a special use permit to convert a property into a game room, told the City of Leander Planning and Zoning Commission that he has waited six weeks without consistent communication from the planning department.

"The only issue I'm having, it's been 6 weeks and I still have not been able to get a hold of anybody in the department," Dortch said during the meeting. He said one staffer, Sydney Hanson, "helped me out immensely," but that other reviewers and office staff have not returned phone calls he was promised.

Dortch said he and local business owners are ready to appear in support of the permit. He named owners connected to a nearby Culver's and listed individuals he said would attend: George Gentile, Andrea, and Austin Tanner. He also mentioned Ace Hardware, Maggie Mays and "the Bureau Garden" as local businesses willing to back the application. Dortch said he has invested about $55,000 in the building and in the special use permit process and said the delay is delaying his planned opening.

Dortch described the proposed use as a "safe environment" that would increase foot traffic and tax revenue in the area and said he has opened a similar business in Cedar Park within 45 days in the past. He closed his remarks by saying, "It's very, very frustrating. That's basically all I gotta say now."

Why it matters: applicant complaints of permitting delays can signal process bottlenecks for business openings and may prompt staff follow-up or clearer timelines. The commission did not take action on Dortch’s comments during this meeting; the item remains a citizen comment recorded in the public-comment portion of the meeting.