Bastrop council clears code changes to allow front-yard parking, sets 20-foot setback and parking standards

Bastrop City Council voted unanimously to adopt a package of amendments to the city—s B3 development code governing parking, setbacks and garage placement, after a lengthy public and council debate about neighborhood character, drainage and enforcement.

The council approved changes that explicitly allow on-site parking in the first layer of a lot while requiring that residential garage facades, when provided, "shall begin in the second or third layer," a change moved and seconded from the dais. Council and staff agreed to replace the ambiguous "layer" language in many places with a concrete setback definition: the council accepted staff—s recommendation that the first layer be defined to begin at a 20-foot setback measured from the property/right-of-way line.

Why it matters: The B3 code changes aim to close contradictions that left some homeowners and developers uncertain about whether driveways and garage facades were permitted by right. Council members said clarifying setbacks and parking rules will reduce repeated enforcement questions, mitigate street congestion and guide future development near established neighborhoods such as Riverside Grove.

What the council changed: Staff explained the package (items 10B–10E and 10C, 10F in the agenda) would: - Allow parking in the first layer where earlier code text effectively prohibited it; - Remove conflicting parking-maximum language in some P5 core sections and permit shared parking strategies; - Require that garage facades, if provided, begin in the second or third layer while still allowing on-site parking in the first layer; and - Add minimum on-site parking requirements and a stall-size standard. On the council floor, members amended the parking-minimum proposal to specify a minimum stall size (discussed at 10 by 20 feet as a working standard) and to replace the earlier two-spaces-per-primary-dwelling rule with a requirement of one parking space per bedroom for new development.

Quotes: "I'm happy if you say the first layer shall begin at 20 feet," the City Manager said when discussing how to translate "layers" into explicit setbacks. Councilmember Meyer said the 20-foot minimum would help avoid the heavy on-street parking that currently plagues some neighborhoods. "We need to get these amendments," she said, citing problems in other growing Texas cities.

Process and next steps: Staff noted that some components still require Planning & Zoning review and that code cleanup will continue; the council moved several items as a package and approved amendments on first reading or as part of consent for second-reading placement on the Jan. 14 consent agenda. Council members asked staff to ensure definitions (e.g., ADU, parking-stall dimensions) are explicit in the final ordinance language and to return with precise sizing and enforcement language where needed.

Council roll calls on the primary B3 amendments were unanimous at the time of the votes recorded on the dais.

What to watch: Council directed staff to coordinate with Planning & Zoning on any remaining technical changes, and members emphasized that the ordinance should not unintentionally disadvantage small-lot infill or existing historic areas without further study.