HUTTO – Drivers already bemoaning heavy traffic along FM 685 will soon face another slow down, but Hutto students will be safer with a new school zone being added in front of the high school.
The new zone travels along the front of the school and restricts the speed to 35 mph when the flashing lights are operating, which is 15 mph below the posted speed limit on Chris Kelley Blvd. (FM 685) outside of the school zone.
FM 685 is a statemaintained highway and speed limits fall under control of the Texas Department of Transportation, but cities have the right to override speed limits when needed for the purpose of a school zone.
In this case, according to city documents, TxDOT agreed a school zone was needed and recommended that the city add it after receiving requests from Hutto ISD Police Chief William Edwards, Hutto Independent School District Assistant Superintendent of Operations Henry Gideon, and Hutto High School Principal Jonathan Smith.
City manager James Earp worked with Hutto ISD to get the ball rolling after noticing the lack of one when he moved to Hutto earlier this year. The ordinance to install the zone was approved at the Nov. 17 city council meeting and TxDOT can now plan for installation.
“I specifically had a member of the school board reach out, Terrence Owens, and he wanted to thank the city for taking the lead on that and doing that. That’s something that he’s wanted to have done for a while,” Mayor Pro Tem Peter Gordon said while giving credit to Earp for getting the zone passed through all the appropriate channels.
“While I do appreciate the kudos, I would be remiss to mention that the school district personnel and the police chief and the Hutto ISD police force have been working diligently to try to get that done, too,” Earp said. “So it wasn’t a single person that caused that to happen.”
Before voting to approve the new school zone, Mayor Mike Snyder told the audience that there was an official path for residents wanting to have school zones installed near their schools, if they felt another zone was necessary.
“There’s a process that has been implemented since May of 2021. You just have to have the principal of the school or the principal’s appointee make a request to the city,” he said.
Upon the request, an application for a study goes to the city engineering department, Snyder explained.
“It’s a really quick process,” he said.
