The details
The approximately 0.4 acres of land used to be the site of a historic home that Bastrop resident Mary LeBlanc, who died at 88 years old in 2020, had lived in for decades.
Following her death, RubiCrown Development purchased the property, demolished the house and now aims to build two owner-occupied fourplexes with 16 parking spaces on the property—1,189-square-foot residences that would need to be governed by a condo association.
Zooming in
The Bastrop Planning and Zoning Commission denied the zoning request during a meeting Sept. 25 where several residents voiced their concerns, including Sam Calliham.
He and his wife, Marilyn Calliham, have lived in a historic three-story home, built in 1905, that borders the subject property for the past 28 years.
“We have no interest in living next to an eight-unit condo project under P4 zoning or next to a nine-unit duplex and tiny home development, which we understand is possible under the P3 zoning,” Sam Calliham said during the meeting.
P3 zoning is a neighborhood residential designation, while P4 zoning is a residential mix-density designation that allows for a more dense population and multifamily units, according to the city of Bastrop.
Although Sam Calliham stressed how he wanted the opportunity to preserve Mary LeBlanc’s home, he was not given the opportunity to relocate the house next door. He has since stated his understanding that a development of some sort is now likely.
“We prefer a project of a similar design but with a maximum of four to six living units,” Sam Calliham said. “Each living unit, therefore, would have a larger floor plan promoting longevity [of residency].”
Some context
Chris Kirby of Bastrop Law Group is representing the developers and met with Sam Calliham and other residents in late July to discuss their plans.
“Now, I’m not going to convince you,” he told residents during the meeting at 602 Brewing Company. “I’m going to tell you what the facts are about what the house was, what’s happening now and what the alternatives are. It’s up for you to decide.”
The outlook
There are plans to move forward with an alternative development if the property is not rezoned from P3.
“Under P3 [zoning], they’re allowed to build four duplexes and four alternative dwelling units, which are in essence like a guest house,” Kirby said. “That total of 12 living units are typically rentals not owned by the occupiers.”
