HUTTO — Outdoor enthusiasts will have a lot to look forward to during the next 10 years as the city prepares to potentially implement $73 million in parks’ improvements.
The City Council recently approved a master plan for Hutto parks that will add parkland, facilities and amenities.
“This is the third plan that we have completed this year. All will serve as guiding documents for us,” said Parks Director Jeff White. “We had our athletic-field study, our trails master plan and finally our parks and rec master plan.”
The city worked with park consultant firm Clark Condon to survey residents and evaluate the city’s future requirements. Hutto received over 1,250 responses from the community and also engaged with students about their needs.
Trail connectivity was ranked as the most-needed park improvement, with 77% of respondents choosing it. Aquatics was the second-highest priority, with 60% of survey-takers listing it at the top. Teens’ three most desired recreation amenities included a dedicated activity center, outdoor performances and interactive events.
The master plan includes 13 renovation projects totaling $2.5 million, 35 new facility projects totaling $68.9 million and $1.4 million spent on 10 natural enhancement projects.
“It will take a diverse range of funding to achieve a full buildout of this master plan over the next 10 years,” said Mary Keilers with Clark Condon. She suggested corporate sponsorships, bond funding and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department matching grants as possibilities for enhancing the Parks Department annual budget.
Keilers said Hutto is considered an average service provider compared to the baseline of other U.S. cities regarding parkland, but will need an additional 407 acres by 2030 to satisfy the projected population of 65,000. Data from the National Recreation and Parks Association suggests Hutto needs 13 additional playgrounds, 10 more tennis courts, a dog park, a skate park, a nature center, two outdoor pools and various other athletic fields and courts to meet the national average of recreational facilities by 2030.
The city is already short on playgrounds and athletic fields to meet today’s population, according to the agency’s database.
Keilers identified enhancing the experience of park visitors, filling gaps in programming and addressing urgent renovations as the top priorities for the next three years.
Council members suggested asking the Parks Advisory Board to prioritize the many suggested projects based on a specific budget to be determined during the city’s strategic planning sessions.
“The great thing about our parks board is they are very engaged and it is a diverse group. Some are more passionate about trails and some are more passionate about playgrounds,” White said. “So they weave those priorities based on what their own passions are as well as feedback from the community.”
The director told the council the two master plans previously approved are already affecting the way board members look at their responsibilities.
“In the last two weeks, the parks board has had two different projects to consider for parkland improvement. One was 95 acres — that helps us get to those needed acres we have — and part of that was ‘you need to put a trail, need to put trees along there,”’ White said. “The other was 17 acres, and they came back with disc golf and pickleball courts along the 17 acres in trails. So, parks board and staff is getting in the habit of making those requests.”
