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BASTROP — A proposal to build 42 homes on just four acres has sparked debate over recent amendments to Bastrop’s Building Block Code, with developers promoting the project as a boost for affordable housing and neighbors raising alarms over neighborhood stability.
Several residents near the planned North End Prairie development—located between Pecan Street and Hill Street—spoke during last week’s City Council meeting, voicing concerns with the project’s density and potential community impact.
“We have real, tangible concerns about how it will affect our daily lives,” resident Heather Green told the council, flanked by fellow neighbors.
With lot sizes ranging from 1,462 to 4,400 square feet and homes as small as 400 square feet, the development’s design would no longer be permitted under the city’s updated B3 Code. Plans call for a mix of small single-family home designs—including bungalows, tiny homes and duplexes—no longer approved in the area.
Property owners Tom Liebowitz and Jodie Smith are seeking an exemption from the new code, requesting to be grandfathered under previous ordinances, per Texas Local Government Code Chapter 245, which allows projects to proceed under prior regulations if the permit application predates new rules. Green and other neighbors cited fears of overcrowding, drainage issues, parking limitations and a weakened sense of community if the original plans move forward.
“After speaking to my neighbors, I have come to the conclusion that each of us have been told a different story,” Green added, criticizing what she described as inconsistent communication from the developers.
Smith, who is also the sister of Councilperson Kerry Fossler, said the project is part of her Homes for Good Foundation, a nonprofit working to increase affordable homeownership in Bastrop. She said the effort is mission-driven, not profit-driven.
“It would have gentrified the neighborhood, driven up property values and probably pushed out some of the longer-time residents who couldn’t afford that higher property tax burden,” Smith said, referring to the alternative of building high-end homes on larger lots. “That’s the opposite of why we’re doing this.”
Fossler works as a real estate agent and reportedly consulted on the land purchase in 2021, before being elected to council. She recused herself from the council’s vote when it passed a measure to establish a formal review process for determining whether projects qualify for exemption.
City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino acknowledged that multiple developers have requested to proceed under the prior code, and that Bastrop officials still need to address “several items of concern” with North End Prairie, including traffic impact, drainage and street width.
The council agreed to hold a public discussion to address community questions.
“One of the things being said is, ‘We’re being told this is a done deal.’ No, this is not a done deal,” Carrillo-Trevino said.
The project will be discussed further at 6 p.m. March 31 at the Bastrop Convention and Exhibit Center, 1409 Chestnut St.
