As developers and people take more interest in doing business and living in Hutto, city leaders are looking at how to best preserve green spaces.

The city of Hutto aims to complete its Hutto 2040 plan by the end of April, and preserving the city's open spaces while undergoing continued growth will drive quality-of-life improvements, officials said.

Mayor Debbie Holland said striking a balance between developing land for commercial use and identifying the areas it hopes to preserve as parkland will be crucial in Hutto's development.



"How do you balance the growth that is occurring with all the needs of the community?" Holland said. "It's a real challenge for us to be able to do that."

The city's previous comprehensive plan, the Growth Guidance Plan, was adopted in 2006. Because of rapid growth, however, the city was due for a re-evaluation of its vision and goals, city documents state. The new comprehensive plan is set to guide the city's expansion for the next 25 years.

One concrete method of attaining a higher quality of life is by growing the city's tree canopy, or the amount of area in the city shaded by trees, Senior Planner Erika Ragsdale said.

Hutto's current tree canopy stands at 15 percent, Ragsdale said. The council has voiced interest in increasing that number, she said.

"That's a big jump and a big goal, but if that is what council decides to set, then we will have that in the plan and will constantly refer back to it," she said. "As the years go by we can say, 'What's our tree canopy now, and how are we doing on that goal that we set?' We can use it to decide that we need to do more focused planting efforts."

Holland said programs, such as the Parks and Recreation Department's Arbor Day events and Adopt-a-Spot, will help the city's preservation efforts as citizens take ownership of the city's beautification. The latter program allows residents to "adopt" an area of the city to beautify, she said.

"We are hoping [preservation efforts will] catch on and be something that will be able to sustain itself over time," Holland said.

Beautifying the city with more greenery and increasing tree coverage will make the city more attractive to developers, said Councilwoman Anne Cano, who works as a realtor. In the past builders have decided to take their projects elsewhere because Hutto lacked trees and natural amenities, Cano said.

"Trees would definitely make it more desirable to live here," she said.

Ragsdale said higher tree coverage has benefits in addition to promoting economic development.

The more obvious perks include better air quality and aesthetic improvements, Ragsdale said. But an improved tree canopy also helps extend the life of pavement, she said. Significant weather changes can lead to cracking, she said, but with ample shade damage can be prevented.

The city's landscaping ordinance will continue to guide tree planting in residential areas and ensure a minimum amount of native plants are used, Ragsdale said.

Ragsdale said four objectives of the plan deal with parks and preservation initiatives: quality of life, mobility, resiliency and community.

Drafting the comprehensive plan entailed public involvement. Ragsdale said the city frequently heard from residents who said they wanted Hutto's small-town charm preserved.

"While we are going to continue to grow, people moved here for the small-town feel, and so they want to see that preserved with new growth," she said.

As the city's growth continues, it will be important to identify land to preserve as green space, Holland said.

"Once those parcels are developed you don't get them back," she said.