Bryan’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to recommend rezoning a 2.05-acre lumberyard property on Sandy Point Road. The recommendation came with conditions aimed at bringing the site into compliance; it is not a final zoning decision.
City officials discovered the property was being used as an unauthorized lumberyard and recommended rezoning as a path toward compliance, according to Community Impact. The city notified the property of violations in fall 2025 and met with owner Ramiro Quintero this past May, directing him to stop the lumberyard operation, the outlet reported. Inspectors also found multiple structures on the property that required conditional use permits they did not have.
Staff Recommendation Comes With Conditions
City staff recommended that any approval require the lumberyard to stop commercial work and that remaining unpermitted structures be demolished or moved off the property. Project Planner Benjamin Johnson told the commission the structures could cause traffic problems and adversely affect nearby property owners, according to the same account. Johnson said that if the commission had denied the recommendation, all of the structures would have had to come down.
The commission’s unanimous vote advances a recommendation with conditions; it does not itself complete the rezoning. The account does not specify the next step in the city process or when a final decision will be made.
Owner Says He's Willing But Needs Time
Quintero told the commission he was willing to comply but would need time to complete the process while dealing with what he described as health struggles, Community Impact reported. He said he understood he could not use the property commercially until it was rezoned and acknowledged he had not started demolishing the building in question because he was waiting for city approval. He also said the lumberyard business was declining.
Commissioner Clint Cooper expressed reservations, saying he was concerned approval could set a precedent for property owners who bypass permitting. He said he trusted Quintero’s word, and the commission ultimately voted unanimously to recommend the rezoning.
A Road With a History of Zoning Fights
Sandy Point Road has seen zoning disputes before. In 2021, Bryan City Council approved rezoning 2.37 acres at 1800 Sandy Point Road from residential to retail use, according to WTAW. More recently, a neighboring resident named Steven Roach raised concerns at a hearing over a proposed Sandy Point subdivision, saying the plat appeared to include land covered by his perpetual easement and needed correction before any final plan could be approved, per CitizenPortal.ai. Roach also warned that the road's 60 mph, two-lane layout and lack of sewer service would make access and utilities difficult for a proposed 40-home development nearby.
Broader West Bryan Planning Context
The City of Bryan’s West Area Plan describes a broader effort to assess land use, transportation, infrastructure and zoning in its study area. The plan material cited here does not establish that the lumberyard parcel is within that area or identify parcel-specific recommendations or infrastructure plans.
The cited zoning and subdivision matters involve separate properties and proceedings; they do not establish a broader pattern along the corridor. The lumberyard matter remains subject to the conditions in the commission’s recommendation and to a later city decision.
