Bastrop weighs transportation impact fees for new developments

Bastrop city hall is located at 1311 Chestnut St. in Bastrop

Austin American-Statesman
Aaron Sullivan, Special to Bastrop Advertiser
October 9, 2023

The Bastrop City Council recently accepted a study by Kimley-Horn, an engineering planning and designing consulting firm, to understand the potential effects of implementing transportation impact fees on new developments within the city limits.

The plan for transportation impact fees comes as the city faces unprecedented growth, especially on the west side of the Colorado River. City Manager Sylvia Carrillo said the impact fees would affect only new developments.

“We’re a little bit behind the curve in paying for roads,” Carrillo told the Bastrop Advertiser. “The transportation impact fee would assess developments so that they pay for their portion of the impact onto the road system.”

Carrillo said the maximum rates would be $8,644 per single-family house on the west side of the river and $5,204 per home east of the river. She said these rates could change depending on the council’s decisions.

Council Member Cheryl Lee raised concerns about the ordinance’s language surrounding accessory dwelling units, more commonly called granny flats, leading the council to discuss potential exemptions for current residents who want to build those units after the plan would be implemented.

“It all talks about new development,” Lee said. “I see an ADU as an upgrade (to one’s property), not development. If I put an ADU on my property, it doesn’t mean it’s going to generate any traffic.”

A Kimley-Horn representative at the Sept. 26 council meeting explained the proposed ordinance defines development as anything that increases traffic. The representative also said the council could make fee exemptions based on the square footage of ADUs and define the rate that homeowners would pay for those accessory dwellings. Carrillo recommended that the council could exempt one ADU per property and other home expansions from impact fees.

“Unfortunately, building a new dwelling unit behind your house qualifies as new construction,” Carrillo said in an interview. “The council is going to wrestle with that idea, but the transportation impact fee is really meant so that new development pays its way on the transportation and road system so that current residents aren’t taxed to death.”

Though the council did not take further action on this issue, Council Member Kevin Plunkett said the study from Kimley-Horn would provide key context to the council’s future public hearings and discussions. 

Carrillo said transportation impact fees would be a key topic at the city’s “Code Rodeo” public hearing Nov. 14.

Air quality

In addition, the council extended a lease for the Capital Area Council of Governments for an air quality monitoring station in Mayfest Park until 2026. The council of governments has monitoring stations across the Austin area and uses them to measure compliance with Environmental Protection Agency air quality standards. Mayor Lyle Nelson said this monitoring station could exempt Bastrop from potential taxes on emissions and inspections.

“Should the city of Austin or some of the surrounding area begin to fall into nonattainment status, we have our own individual monitoring system here,” Nelson said. “Perhaps we could be excluded or get a waiver should they reach a nonattainment area.”

A nonattainment area is an area that does not meet the national air quality standard, according to the EPA’s website. 

The City Council on Sept. 26 also approved Nelson’s appointment to represent Bastrop in the council of governments, replacing former Mayor Connie Schroeder.