The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 142, No. 61, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 28, 1995 Page: 4 of 71
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Page 4
THE BASTROP ADVERTISER
Thursday, September 28,1995
Issues & Opinions
Publisher's View
By Steve Taylor
A quick fix is not the solution
There has been more than a pleasant Autumn
chill in the air in Bastrop lately. Leaves may be
falling but rumors and emotions seem to be
flying high.
The cause of this stir is a proposed zoning
change for the planning and zoning board and
the city council to consider. The proposal
requests a piece of property that is currently
zoned single family multi-density residential to
be changed to commercial. The desire of those
requesting the change is to place a retail store on
the property.
The surrounding properties are single family
homes and a public elementary school. I live in
one of these homes.
The city has a comprehensive zoning
ordinance in place. It is clear on property uses
and regulations within specific zoning
classifications. One purpose of the ordinance is
to regulate and maintain the best potential use of
property within the city. It guards against
haphazard and poorly planned land use to
protect the integrity of neighborhoods and
commercial districts.
Considering a commercial business locating
within a residential neighborhood should be a
fairly cut and dried decision. The very thought
goes against logic and the zoning ordinances. It
constitutes an obvious case of spot zoning. Spot
zoning and conditional use permits are not
acceptable. Similar requests have been turned
down in the past.
Simple, right? Wrong. The business
requesting the change is The Ladies of Charity.
This is without doubt a wonderful organization
that has provided a wonderful service to the
community. The thought of this group not
having a location to conduct their business has
caused strong emotions to surface. They
definitely need a good location. But is a
property in a quiet family neighborhood a good
location? I don't think so.
Is this proposal in anyone's best interest?
Let's think about this. The city notified 15
neighboring property owners about the proposal.
To date eight of these neighbors have written to
oppose the zoning change. Only three
responded saying that they do not oppose. That
leaves four who have not responded in writing.
However, two of those have expressed their
opposition to me vocally. It stands to reason
that this will not benefit the neighborhood.
The city, county and school district will have
to withstand a decrease in tax base if
surrounding property values fall. This does not
appear to benefit the tax-payers.
Finally, does this proposed move really
benefit The Ladies of Charity? Maybe, but I
think perhaps the decision is being made in haste
and better solutions to the problem exist. Retail
businesses belong with other retail businesses
where traffic patterns are already established.
Customers should not be asked to search for a
business. A prominent store front always
benefits a retailer. In this case the proceeds go
to charitable causes, so it in the best interest of
the community for The Ladies of Charity to
have a prominent location, not one hidden away
in a residential area.
Perhaps it is time to slow down and
reevaluate the situation. I realize that time
seems to be of primary importance since The
Ladies of Charity apparently gave their
landlords notice in August that they were
planning to move and did not need their current
space after October 1. But a hasty decision
made now simply to stay open could be much
more damaging than closing temporarily while
an earnest community-wide search for an
appropriate location is undertaken. Would it be
possible for the Catholic Church to provide a
temporary space to maintain essential business
obligations? Perhaps they could even donate a
building or land on a permanent basis.
Other locations exist that might be worth a
look, and other business moves in the near
future may open up a desirable location already
zoned commercial. There were at least three
modestly priced commercial properties
advertised in last Saturday's Advertiser. I have
heard people suggest the old Sears building or
property on or near Industrial Boulevard. There
seem to be lots of options.
Some of these locations may be more
expensive, but there is a solution to that
problem, too. Other equally wonderful
organizations such as Family Crisis Center,
Children's Advocacy Center, CASA and others
have marvelous success with fund raisers that
get the community involved. A fund raiser does
not have to be elaborate to be successful. It
could be as simple as organizing a walk or fun
run or even a bingo or shuffleboard tournament.
The opportunities are endless. All of a sudden
some of these ideal properties don't seem so out
of reach.
The community does not want The Ladies of
Charity to be without a location. But that
location does not belong in a residential
neighborhood. The neighborhood deserves
better, the community deserves better and The
Ladies of Charity deserve better.
It is up to the City Council to decide this
issue. Integrity and consistent enforcement of
zoning ordinances must prevail. Spot zoning or
conditional usage is not in anyone's best interest.
Let's move past this ruling with our ordinances,
neighborhoods and reputations for fairness intact
and get to the real issue. Let's find The Ladies
of Charity a real commercial property on which
they can prosper.
Spot zoning called bad precedent
Dear Editor:
I must add my two cents
worth to the issue of rezoning
property at 909 Farm Street
from single family residential to
commercial just to
accommodate the Ladies of
Charity thrift store.
No one should question the
good works of the L.O.C. The
issues should center on their
method of operation and then-
objective of acquiring title to the
property in question.
First, their thrift store is open
for business only part time
through the week. During other
times people will drop off items
of furnishings, bags of clothing
and just plain trash outside their
store location. Then these things
are picked over by whomever
comes by. These people are
seen at night and even on
weekends.
Second, the Farm Street
property is surrounded by single
family homes of considerable
value, and across die street is a
public elementary school. These
small children come and go
each school day around the
building in question.
You can only imagine the
curiosity of youngsters upon
seeing unattended discarded
items. What about varmints and
crawling things, hiding there,
which will be attracted to the
trash left for periods of time?
If this request to rezone to
commercial were approved, it
would simply be spot zoning.
What a precedent to set for all
of Bastrop!
Normally, following this type
of rezoning, the commercial
property will rise in value
whereas the surrounding
residential property will fall.
This could happen in your
neighborhood.
I think all citizens of Bastrop
should open their eyes and ears
to this question and not listen
only to their hearts. Let your
city council members know that
you are positively against spot
zoning in any form.
Let's put a stop to this before
it starts.
Patricia E. Hall
Bastrop
Union Hill Church site to get marker
Dear Editor:
The Union Hill Missionary
Baptist Church invites the
public to attend the dedication
of a Texas historical marker on
Ladies of Charity called service organization
Saturday, October 7 at 11 a.m.
Hie Union Hill church site
was used by area slaves as a
meeting place. The church was
organized in 1864.
To reach the church take FM
969 off Texas 71, cross the
Colorado River bridge and go
about 2.5 miles. The church will
be to the left.
Thank you,
Valerie Johnson
Chairman
Bastrop County Historical
Commission
Dear Editor:
I read with interest the letters
from Farm Street area residents
stating their concerns regarding
a new location for the Ladies of
Charity Store in their neighbor-
hood.
I would like to point out that
this is an issue that concerns not
only the local neighborhood
where this establishment would
be relocated but the entire Bas-
trop community. The chief ob-
jection seems to be the rezoning
of the property to
“Commercial.” Ladies of Char-
ity are improperly classified as a
“commercial” business running
a “Thrift Shop.” They are actu-
ally a service organization dis-
pensing charity in this commu-
nity.
Indeed last year, they chan-
neled over $27,000 back into
this community in the form of
utility payments, grocery
money, emergency lodging and
generally a source of funds for
people trying to get back on
their feet. (This includes over
$2,000 worth of clothing and
household items distributed di-
rectly from the store to individ-
uals and organizations.)
Twenty-seven thousand dol-
lars is a lot of money and all of
it went back into our commu-
nity. In addition the Ladies paid
almost $3,000 in sales tax-they
paid over $8,000 in rent and
utilities and other expenses.
You might wonder how the
Ladies came up with this
money. They did it by accepting
donations of used clothing and
other items. They did it by gra-
ciously volunteering their own
time to sort through used cloth-
ing and other articles. They did
it by pricing items realistically
and displaying them attractively
in their store. (In many cases,
however, they have famished
clothing and household items
free of charge to individuals
who were unable to pay even
those modest prices.)
Think of those figures and
realize these Ladies working
with bags of used clothing,
books, toys and other household
items had to generate almost
$40,000 in one year's time in
order to pay their own rent and
utilities and dispense $27,000 in
charity here in Bastrop. Al-
though the dollar amounts have
grown and the number of people
receiving help have greatly in-
creased, the Ladies have been
performing this same function
year after year after year (for the
past nine years).
I would guess that this is the
largest charity organization in
our community. I think it
touches many lives-lives of in-
dividuals who are hurting. The
successful relocation of this or-
ganization and their continued
outreach to the community is of
vital interest to everyone in this
city-not just the residents of the
Farm Street area.
I would urge the citizens of
Bastrop to examine the issues.
Be aware of what this organiza-
tion accomplishes. Understand
that they are not a “business”-
they are a service organization
extending charity.-As such they
should be the recipients of a re-
zoning classification.
The Zoning Board will be
meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct.
23, in the City Hall at 904 Main.
At that time, they will consider
issuing such a variance. The
City Council will meet at 7:30
p.m. Oct. 3, also in City Hall,
and will also have the rezoning
issue on their agenda.
I urge you to attend these
meetings and make your wishes
known. If you are unable to do
so, call a member of the Zoning
Board or the City Council.
Joyce Cain
Bastrop
TEXAS' OLDEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
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POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to The Bastrop Advertiser, P.O. Box
459, Bastrop, TX 78602.321-2557 • 321-6444
Steve Taylor - Publisher
Davis McAuley - Editor
Julie Kaye - Reporter
Ellen Moore - Events
Chris Wilson - Sports
ADVERTISING
Janice Butler - Sharon Roper
CIRCULATION
Brenda Sharirli
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
Carolyn Wright
PRODUCTION- I
Linda Byrne
Cedar Creek resident says keep businesses out
Dear Editor:
As a visitor to this area, I find
this move of a second hand
store into a residential district
interesting. The fact that it is
across from an elementary
school is alarming.
Have the parents of those
young children been advised to
the transients and thieves who
hang around such a store?
Schools everywhere are
tightening security to protect
children, and now in this town
the possibility of a store that
will bring other than desirable
characters into the
neighborhood is being
considered. Who is planning on
providing five-day-a-week owners in the area if they ever
protection for the children, and try to sell,
who is going to be responsible if
and when something happens. Commercial enterprises
belong in the commercial
If your school board district, away from schools and
approved this they need to be homes,
replaced. Obviously they don't
have children in that school. Teresa Clements
My sympathy to the borne Cedar Creek
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BASTROP ADVERTISER (USPS045-020)
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 142, No. 61, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 28, 1995, newspaper, September 28, 1995; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth735464/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.