Myor says planning is key to Taylor's future City must diversify business base
The city is booming since Samsung Austin Semiconductor announced its choice of Taylor for a new fabrication facility, but managing that growth takes constant vigilance, Mayor Dwayne Ariola said.
That was the theme Monday, Feb. 24, during Ariola’s “State of the City” address to a sold-out crowed at the Greater Taylor Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon.
Strategic goals are the key to measured expansion, Ariola told the crowd.
“Planning is the key to thoughtful growth and ensuring a future for our children,” the mayor said. “We must always stay ahead of the group with planning efforts to ensure we always have the resources we need, that we keep up with maintenance on the facilities we currently have and to make sure we do not grow faster than our infrastructure can handle.”
Taylor has transitioned from a primarily agrarian and commuter community to a 21st century growth hub, Ariola added.
“For 65 years, my father carpooled or drove to Austin for work. Our biggest export in Taylor, unless you were a farmer, was our people,” Ariola said. “The question asked (of) the (City) Council a few years ago was, ‘Do we become a housing community, and just a traffic log, or do we actually go find some jobs for our citizens?’ And that was the tough decision we made a couple of years ago to bring Samsung onboard.”
Samsung announced in November 2021 its $17 billion “fab” was coming to Taylor. Once the foundry is online in 2026, it could create up to 2,000 well-paying jobs, company officials have said.
In the meantime, the South Koreanowned company’s decision to build a second location in the greater Austin area has attracted dozens of ancillary businesses, spurred new home construction and helped put Taylor in the global spotlight, officials said Ariola credits master plans adopted over the last few years for helping the city keep on track with controlled growth.
In addition, the mayor showcased several growth highlights or growth-related developments for 2025: · 932 residential units under construction with 6,024 units approved for development · 6.2 million square feet of industrial manufacturing under construction with another 6.9 million square feet approved for development.
· 725 hotel units approved for development · 960,000 square feet of office and commercial approved for development · Updates to Fire Station No. 1 and No. 2, with continued planning for No. 3 · Continued street maintenance and drainage improvements · Starting a new growth study to help plan for future utility expansion · Sidewalk project for south Taylor · Extension of sewer lines west along U.S. 79 · Wastewater treatment plant repairs · Continued construction of the Doris Roznovak Aquatic Center The mayor and a cadre of leaders from neighboring cities and Williamson County went to South Korea earlier this month hoping to attract more international business to the area.
However, Ariola also said it’s important to have a diverse businesses base so Taylor is not solely dependent on one industry’s potential for growth or affected by its downturns.
Updates to the permitting process and land- development codes that are in progress will make it easier for the city to work with developers and have more control over what industries come to Taylor.
“Now that we’ve landed Samsung and others have decided to show up and other builders are coming, we’re finding those things that need to be changed,” the mayor said. “You’re talking to a born-and-raised Taylorite. I don’t want to lose my downtown community. Now everything outside the loop (Carlos G Parker Boulevard) as I like to call it… it’s going to look different.”
One of the biggest projects for this year is the new $39 million Justice Center, which will be home to City Hall, which is currently housed in a former grocery store building; Municipal Court, which is in a former drive-thru bank; the Taylor Police Department; city utility billing department; and billing services.
“People either love this idea or hate this idea,” Ariola said. “It’s not the Taj Mahal.”
The mayor vowed to avoid any cost overruns and to stay on budget. The design process will likely take the rest of the year.
In addition, the city has several capitalimprovement projects on tap, as well as many studies to help plan future projects, including updating the water- and wastewater- treatment master plans.
“We need to get a second water source so we’re not a singlepoint failure from Granger Lake, whether that be a parallel line from the (Brazos River Authority) or whether we start digging and treating that water that’s down deep,” Ariola said. “Water is gold right now.”
Milestones for 2024 the mayor mentioned include: · 1,065 construction permits issued · 121 new homes
built · 30 businesses opened downtown, though 22 closed · 29,063 people visited the Taylor Public Library · 65,532 people visited Taylor Regional Park · 3,032 emergency calls were received by the Taylor Fire Department · 100 fires and 1,975 emergency and medical rescues were made · 8,962 911 calls and 271 arrests were made by the Police Department
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“I don’t want to lose my downtown community.”
— Mayor Dwayne Ariola
