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BASTROP — A newly reestablished city board is handling Bastrop zoning and development variance requests that previously went before City Council.
The city’s Zoning Board of Adjustments, re-established under the city’s new development code, held its first meeting last month with enough members present for a quorum, despite at least one remaining vacancy.
“It is a quasi-judicial board, meaning it is handled like a court case,” said City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino. “Any denials at the Zoning Board of Adjustments automatically get referred to district court for appeal, so council never hears those. If you want to talk about a truly autonomous board, it’s that one.”
The meeting opened with attorney Charlie Zech briefing board members on the board’s scope and procedures. “This is the second most important board or commission in the city,” Zech said. “This board is making very difficult decisions about friends and neighbors’ properties.”
The board comprises five members and two alternates, who can fill in for absent members or recuse themselves from cases where impartiality may be a concern.
David Cruz will chair the board, with Judy Hoover serving as vice chair.
“I come to this board the way I would like to be treated as a resident of this community,” Cruz said. “I think if we approach this board that way, we’re going to get the kind of outcome that we would like to have if we were sitting on the other side of the dais.”
The Zoning Board of Adjustments will meet the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1311 Chestnut St.
