Here are three recent developments that Bastrop-area officials have discussed, including a comprehensive plan for the Rodeo Arena at Mayfest Park.

Bastrop City Council denies appeal from North End Prairie developers

Bastrop City Council denied a vested rights appeal for North End Prairie after residents voiced their concerns about the development during a City Council meeting Aug. 19.

The background

In early March, developers of North End Prairie—located south of Linden Street, east of Hill Street, west of Pecan Street and North of Buchanan Street—submitted a vesting determination, also known as a “grandfathering request.”


Five items were requested to be vested, including:
  • Parking: one parking spot per bedroom
  • Flood protection: reduction of impervious cover from 60% to 50%
  • Additional dwelling units: must meet parking and flood protection ratios
  • Tree protections: caliper inches were increased to align with the city of Bastrop Tree City Designation and reduce environmental heat
  • Tree survey: required and cannot be older than 2 years old
Officials, who reviewed applicable regulations and sought guidance from legal counsel, determined that additional dwelling units, tree protections and tree survey could be vested, while parking and flood protection could not, according to city documents.

The applicant received notice March 28 and appealed the decision July 23, according to city documents.

Bastrop residents call for revamped Rodeo Arena

Bastrop city staff will develop a comprehensive plan for the Rodeo Arena at Mayfest Park after area residents, many of whom have been horseback at the facility, discussed what improvements they would like to see rolled out.


A conversation Sept. 3 was spurred after Bastrop City Council called for the exploration of installing a shade structure for the Rodeo Arena as part of an effort to amend the “Experience Bastrop” Parks Master Plan for Mayfest Park.

What residents said

During a town hall meeting Sept. 3, Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino shared survey results from 77 community members and 29 industry experts, which called for a variety of improvements in addition to a shade structure, including:
  • Concession, seating and restroom upgrades
  • Paved or stabilized parking areas
  • Signage and lighting for spectators and participants
  • Stall, wash racks and recreational vehicle hookup upgrades for contestants
“They want to focus on making the arena a competitive regional venue,” she said.

Updates to Old Iron Bridge project in Bastrop sparked by the tricolored bat


Project details for the rehabilitation of the Old Iron Bridge in Bastrop were updated Aug. 26 after officials discussed the presence of the tricolored bat in the area.

The details

The contract amendment for design services with Austin-based Huitt-Zollars, at a cost of $59,600, came after three project issues were recently identified:
  • The need for a tricolored bat survey
  • A requirement from the Texas Historical Commission to use modern lighting fixtures instead of matching “old-style” light fixtures located throughout downtown Bastrop
  • The importance of evaluating the Old Iron Bridge for needed structural modifications to accommodate the new lighting system
The tricolored bat survey was called for after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality told city officials that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services planned to list the animal as an endangered species.

“[TCEQ] notified Huitt-Zollars that a tree survey of the area would be required because the tricolored bat has been identified to use trees to nest and that the preliminary assessment indicated would be impacted by the proposed project,” Elizabeth Wick, a project manager with the city of Bastrop, said in a staff report document.