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Editor's note: This story was updated to correct the last name of Tom Leibowitz, provide additional information about the project, and add the town hall information, which was set after publication.
The Bastrop community voiced concerns over a proposed 42-home, 4-acre development called North End Prairie during a City Council meeting March 11.
A town hall is scheduled for March 31, where council members will offer the public a chance to discuss their concerns in-depth.
What happened
Representing herself and a dozen neighbors, resident Heather Green said they are worried about the project’s impact on the area’s parking, drainage and traffic.
Green also said the property owners, Jodie Smith and Tom Leibowitz, had not been transparent about the project details.
“[Smith and Leibowitz] have done their best to muddy the waters when it comes to the details of this project,” Green said.
Leibowitz responded, saying the project had been in the works for over three years and that the previous owner had discussed a plan with neighbors.
“From the beginning, this has been a mission-driven project for us,” Smith said during the meeting. “We formed a nonprofit organization, the Homes for Good Foundation, that will carry this work forward.”
Smith said they are also collaborating with other nonprofits who have similar missions.
“I'm not against development, but I am against the lack of transparency, dismissing concerns and failing to engage the community,” Green said, urging the council to consider their concerns, and stressing that development should “unite, not divide,” the community.
Some context
The idea for the pocket neighborhood was conceived by current council member Kerry Fossler after engaging in conversations with local community members between 2020 and 2021.
In August 2021, her sister and brother-in-law, Smith and Leibowitz, purchased it. Fossler said she stepped away from the project when she was elected to council in May 2024.
Fossler began to recuse herself from related discussions at a council meeting on Feb. 25.
“I don’t personally have a conflict of interest...but out of an abundance of caution, I’m going to step aside because I want there to be trust in this process,” Fossler said.
City attorney Stan Springerley said there was no conflict of interest for Fossler during the previous 10 months when she did not recuse herself.
Breaking it down
Smith said their plan to provide affordable housing is based on a model developed by HomeBase—a nonprofit that acts as the affordable housing consulting branch of Austin Habitat for Humanity.
"Their model is available for people making up to 80% of area median income," Smith said, noting that it translates to:
Stay tuned
A town hall meeting is set for March 31 at 6 p.m. at the Bastrop Convention and Exhibit Center, 1409 Chestnut St., B, Bastrop.
