Let's Talk Luling Episode 8: Patrick Raborn on Luling's First Planning Department & the Comprehensive Plan

This post is adapted from Episode 8 of Let's Talk Luling, a podcast produced by DSE Media for the Luling Economic Development Corporation. Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Luling has never had a planning director before. Patrick Raborn is the first. In Episode 8 of Let's Talk Luling, EDC Executive Director Arias sat down with Patrick to talk about what the planning department does, how zoning and development actually work, and the biggest project on his plate right now — the city's first updated comprehensive plan in 15 years.

Who is Patrick Raborn?

Patrick grew up in La Grange, Texas, where his dad was city manager for 32 years — so municipal government isn't new to him even if this specific role is. He went to Texas A&M for economics, spent time in banking, then pivoted hard into hospitality. He managed a brewery, worked at a winery, made wine, and sold fancy wine in Houston while his wife finished law school at the University of Houston. He landed in Caldwell County because his brother and sister-in-law live here, took a job as a business development officer at Citizens State Bank, and when the planning director role opened up it was a no-brainer. He's been on the job seven months, is still learning fast, and is the first to say so. He was also recovering from ankle surgery at the time of this episode and scooting around city hall on a knee scooter. If you see someone rolling around downtown on one of those, now you know.

What the planning department actually does

Before Patrick arrived, Luling didn't have a dedicated planning function. The city was growing, zoning decisions were being made, but there was no one whose job it was to think proactively about what comes next. That's changed.

The simplest version of what planning does: before any new business breaks ground or any new development moves forward, it comes through planning first. Patrick checks whether the property is zoned correctly, whether the utilities — water, wastewater, electricity — can support the project, and whether any changes need to go through the zoning board and city council for approval.

If a business wants to operate in a commercially zoned space but their use is industrial, they may need a zone change. That process starts with an application on the city of Luling website, goes to the five-member Planning and Zoning board for a recommendation, and then gets a final vote from city council. By the time anyone breaks dirt, Patrick's team has already reviewed civil plans and building plans and knows exactly what's going to be there when it's done.

He's quick to credit the team around him — Ryan Dant, who has been with the city for over a decade and knows the code of ordinances from memory, Bill Shulie on water and wastewater who knows where every pipe runs, Troy on the electrical side, and Tiffany in permitting. Patrick describes them as a wealth of knowledge he couldn't do the job without.

The comprehensive plan

The biggest initiative underway is Luling's new comprehensive plan — the first update in 15 years. The city secured a grant to fund it and is working with Langford and Associates to develop it.

In plain terms, a comprehensive plan is the city's roadmap for the next 10 to 25 years. It covers everything — roads, parks, downtown revitalization, subdivisions, utilities, economic development, all of it. Patrick's job will be measured against it. Every decision the planning department makes should tie back to the plan.

The most important thing about the comprehensive plan is that it is driven by resident input. Patrick and Arias were direct about this: they need people to show up. Public forums are coming. Surveys will be posted in the paper, on the city website, and as QR codes around town. There will be multiple time slots to accommodate different schedules.

The plan is only as good as the community that shapes it. City staff can see the Luling they interact with every day, but there are 5,800 people living here who each experience the city differently. The mom who takes her kids to North Side Park on Wednesday afternoons sees things Patrick doesn't. The business owner on the south end of Davis Street sees things Arias doesn't. All of it matters.

If you have opinions about what Luling should look like in 10 or 20 years — what the downtown should become, what kind of businesses should come to town, what infrastructure needs to be improved — this is the forum to say it. Putting it on Facebook discussion groups is not the same as showing up and being counted.

Downtown revitalization

Patrick came from hospitality and it shows in what excites him most. His personal vision for Luling centers on the downtown — a historic train-facing main street with real bones and a real story. He wants to see that history honored while new businesses find homes in old spaces. More restaurant options. More evening activity. Better use of what's already there.

He's realistic that it doesn't happen overnight and that it takes investment. But Main Street's facade grant program, TxDOT grant cycles that come around every two years, and the momentum already building with Music on Maine and the wine crawl are all pointing in the right direction.

The Caldwell County Road Bond and transportation plan

Patrick addressed the questions circulating around the transportation plan maps that showed possible bypasses and road changes around town. His message was clear: this is a plan before the plan. Nothing on those maps is an actionable item right now. The transportation plan is a visioning document that TxDOT requires before it will consider funding major road projects — and those projects, if they ever happen, are potentially 20 years out.

What is happening in the near term through the Caldwell County Road Bond is the reconstruction of North Hackberry Street — full road redo, drainage improvements, and sidewalks on both sides. It's a much-needed improvement on a heavily used road.

The transportation plan survey is live on the city of Luling website. Take it.

The code of ordinances

One thing Patrick wants more people to know about: the code of ordinances is publicly available on the city website and has a search function. Any question about setbacks, lot widths, flood plain requirements, term limits for boards — it's all in there. Before calling city hall or posting a question on Facebook, it's worth checking the code first. And if you can't find the answer, Patrick and the team are happy to help.

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