Hutto: Fastest-growing city in the state
Hutto: Fastest-growing city in the state
Written by Shannon Colletti Friday, 07 December 2007
When former Hutto mayor and long-time resident Mike Fowler arrived in Hutto 30 years ago, the town had a population of 500. There were no stoplights or stop signs and just one school, now known as the “old middle school.” The gin and grain co-ops were flourishing. City business was often conducted on butcher paper at the only grocery store/meat market, which then-mayor Ed Schmidt ran.
“When I moved here, there was very little in the way of services, very few things that you could do,” Fowler said. “It was a very small rural community that had a lot of great people and character associated with it.”
Today Hutto has numerous stoplights and stop signs and six schools. The co-ops, long-since closed, might reopen for more applicable uses.
But, perhaps most importantly, Hutto today has more than 17,200 residents, according to city estimates. Last summer, the U.S. Census Bureau determined, based on statistical data from July 2000 to July 2006, that Hutto is the fastest growing city in the state of Texas with a growth rate of 665.7 percent. Most of the growth has occurred in the past seven years.
“We now have a chance of being a sustainable community,” Fowler said. “Growth doesn’t happen by itself. You’ve got to actively cultivate it. I think Hutto has done a good job of working with builders and developers to encourage not only residential but commercial and light industrial growth. Next, we need to create more primary jobs to where we are sustainable and people can work here.”
Reasons Hutto has grown
Fowler attributed the current population growth spike mainly to geography.
“I think we have been fortunate enough to be well placed,” Fowler said. “In real estate, they say it’s all about location, location, location. We’re eight miles from everywhere: Round Rock/Pflugerville, Taylor, Jonah. We also now have the proximity to Bergstrom International Airport.”
Without good roads and the ability to be mobile, however, location is somewhat of a moot point.
“The biggest thing that has helped us grow is State Highway 130 and the knowledge it was coming,” Fowler said. The Texas Department of Transportation announced plans for the new toll road in the late ’90s.
Many people are also quick to point out the strong reputation of Hutto’s school district and its competitively priced housing market.
“From my perspective, we’ve experienced exponential growth in Hutto because of the quality of our schools,” said Scott Martinez, economic development corporation executive director. “We’ve seen a lot of younger families move [here] because our schools are really good. Hutto is one of those great areas where the homes are affordable and the schools are good, and if you’re a young family just starting out, it’s a pretty good scenario.”
How Hutto is addressing growth
“[Hutto] citizens should not look at [the current growth] as being a detriment or fear it eroding the family values that are deeply ingrained within the city of Hutto,” Mayor Ken Love said. “The growth will bring a number of positive things with regard to services and improvements with the schools and will bring a number of people who will be a part of the community and embrace it by volunteering.”
Matthew Lewis, Hutto’s community development director, said the first thing the city did to address the apparent growth was to develop a comprehensive, growth-guidance plan. They started it in early 2005 and recently adopted it.
“We defined our boundaries and did a land use plan for those boundaries,” Lewis said. “We identified and geographically studied each area to see what the best land use would be.”
Next, city officials came up with a gateway overlay for the Toll 130 corridor. Lewis said they wanted to make sure growth in that area matched the land use plan but also created a higher standard of development than what is typical along highway frontage roads. He cited the Crossings of Carmel Creek, the 466-acre mixed-use, new urbanist development the city recently acquired, as an example of their vision.
Hutto leaders are also in the process of consolidating all of their city ordinances. They want one code to oversee all development standards. Thus, ordinances for zoning, subdivision, landscaping, signs, etc. will get wrapped into one document so there are no inconsistencies or conflicting information, Lewis said.
Finally, decision makers are tackling the city’s infrastructure — the public systems and services that include power, water, wastewater, roadways and schools.
“If you don’t have the infrastructure with a boom like this, you’re really going to have problems sustaining and handling the amount of growth we’re having,” Lewis said. “We’re getting our water and wastewater infrastructure in place for the future so we’re not going to have to keep retrofitting our projects, but at the same time we’re not oversizing them to a magnitude that’s wasteful. All of our infrastructure has been key in helping manage this growth.”
Growth in Williamson County
Williamson County Commissioner Ron Morrison, whose precinct includes Hutto, attributes the county’s growth to good school systems, solid and improving infrastructure, employment opportunities and natural amenities, such as the lakes.
“The two things that will continue to spur Hutto growth,” he said, “are the schools and the new infrastructure. It’s just poised for explosive growth.”
His advice to Williamson County residents as everyone adapts to an ever-increasing population is to be patient as infrastructure is improved to handle the growth.
“We know [the growth] is coming, and we’re doing our best to stay up with it from a city, county and state standpoint,” he said. “Every inconvenience you suffer on the highway is creating a convenience in the future.”
Lewis echoed his belief that managing growth goes beyond Hutto’s borders.
“What we’re trying to do is look at it regionally, not just from a Hutto standpoint,” he said. “Hutto is not in its own little eggshell. We have really good communication with all the other [regional] cities. I think that’s a key to managing Central Texas’ growth.”
The future
Many people predict the growth in Central Texas, including Hutto, will continue over the next few decades, providing there is no cataclysmic event. Morrison said he believes the growth will spread eastward, toward Taylor and beyond.
“If they live east of Hutto, growth is headed their way,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time."
Martinez also indicated growth won’t be slowing down in the land of the hippos anytime soon.
“I see Hutto as the next frontier,” Martinez said. “I think Hutto definitely has a niche and a clear identity as far as being family friendly and business friendly. Right now we’re as successful as any community in the Austin market.”
2000-2006 local growth
Growth facts:
- According to City of Hutto projections, its population will reach 60,000 by 2030.
- The current population of Williamson County is estimated at 353,000 and represents more than 40% growth since the 2000 U.S. Census.
- From 2002 to 2007, more miles of highways were under construction in Williamson County, and for more money, than in any county in the United States.
- The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization projects that by 2035 Williamson County’s population will exceed 1 million and will have surpassed Travis County’s current population.
Hutto Population
Depending on the source, Hutto's estimated population varies, sometimes greatly. Nevertheless, one fact is consistent: the population has steadily increased over the past 17 years.
Note: For more information on the City of Hutto’s methodology, contact Hutto’s community development department at 759-3479. For the Texas State Data Center’s methodology, visit the Texas State Data Center at http://txsdc.utsa.edu.
Thoughts on the growth
Ed Schmidt, Retired, former Hutto mayor, Lived in Hutto 56 years
“It has its positive sides, and it has some negatives sides, and that equals an awful lot of traffic. If we can get our infrastructure to accommodate this traffic, it will be wonderful. It brings people to an area that has been relatively ignored for a number of years. The growth that can help folks the most is commercial development. That would help absorb the tax load that is on rooftops. Some light industrial/commercial would be to our betterment.”
Ken Ludwig, Owner, Allstate agency, Worked in Hutto 4 ½ years
“I think the growth is good, especially for somebody that’s in business. I also realize it is kind of a struggle for a lot of the entities involved to keep up with the growth. I think, considering as fast as Hutto is growing, all the entities involved — the city, EDC, chamber of commerce — I believe they’re all doing a great job. Growth is good, but it brings a lot of challenges.”
Becky Coe, Customer service rep,, Capital Graphics, Worked in Hutto 7 ½ years
“I think growth is a good thing, good for the economy. It affects everybody. There’s just more people coming in; actually, there’s just more of everything. People don’t have to drive as far to get to the places they want or things they want.”
Chris Harris, Attorney, Harris & Schroeder, Lived in Hutto 1 year
“I love the growth. I own a business here and think it’s great. I think Hutto is pretty neat because as fast as it’s growing, you can still come here and get to know everybody and still have the small-town feel. I think people should want to be involved to make sure the growth will still head the way everyone wants it to so that Hutto stays with the same feel as it has now.”
Jo Ann Kindinger, Owner, Merle Norman, Lived in Hutto 2 years
“You want it to be the right kind of growth. You want it to be business growth, not just all housing developments. Everything affects your taxes and everything affects your quality of life. You can’t just stay stagnant.”
0 Comments 
