Performances held at the amphitheater have routinely received noise complaints from nearby residents. The amphitheater has been closed since January when a show solicited noise complaints from residents as far as 15 miles away.
Conducted by the architectural acoustic firm of Roland, Woolworth & Associates, the study's goal was to determine how Hutto could best minimize the disruption to nearby residents.
The study's primary recommendation was to relocate the amphitheater away from residential areas and repurpose the current site into a baseball field or other facility.
The study also offered a secondary recommendation: constructing a building around the amphitheater to contain the sound.
Failing those two options, Roland, Woolworth & Associates recommended the city continue operating at the current site, but put into place noise mitigation strategies such as using well-directed speakers, constructing a barrier to the north of the amphitheater and avoiding bass-heavy programming.
Hutto City Council discussed the study at its Oct. 21 meeting. Several council members spoke in favor of continuing to use the current site with no additions or renovations and simply curating the events held there to be less disruptive.
"I think if we make it more of a community center, have more niche events, have music that's part of the event—not the event—we could still get our use out of it," Mayor Mike Snyder said.
The council will hold a workshop in December to decide on a course of action for the amphitheater.
