Hutto residents living near FM 1660 and Mager Lane will soon have new neighbors, following Hutto City Council's approval of a zoning ordinance for a new 105-acre mixed-use development.

Council voted 4-2 in favor of a planned unit development, or PUD, zoning ordinance for Durango Farms at an Oct. 17 meeting. Durango Farms is a development planned for North FM 1660, adjacent to Old Town. Council members Mike Snyder and Tanner Rose voted against the motion, and Council member Patti Martinez was not present at the meeting.

The 105.2-acre mixed-use development would include 257 single-family residential units along with 288 multi-family residential units, per city documents.

MA Partners developer Bob Wunsch was present at the meeting and agreed to amendments, provided by council, that would include a "good faith effort" on Wunsch's behalf to work with TxDOT on a traffic signal light at the intersection of FM 1660 and Mager Lane. Wunsch also agreed to ensure that the homes facing East and Main streets, located in the Old Town section of Hutto, are built in accordance to the Historic Preservation Commission's guidelines in order to match the historic atmosphere of the neighborhood.

“I think this is a good example that council does listen, and that we do care," Council Member Scott Rose said.

Council Member Peter Gordon echoed Scott Rose's sentiments, saying he is appreciative of the collaborative efforts between Old Town residents, Hutto's Planning and Zoning Commission and city council to see to it that this project reflects the wants and needs of city residents.

“I think this is why I ran, so we can do this kind of stuff," Gordon said.

A land use summary for the development, presented by Ashley Lumpkin, Hutto's Executive Director of Infrastructure & Development Services, broke down the acreage usage into the following categories:

Single-family: 56.7 acres
Multi-family: 19.7 acres
Commercial: 2.8 acres
Mixed-use: 10.554 acres
Parkland: 3.1 acres
Floodplain: 8.0 acres
Right-of-way: 3.4 acres
Open space: 1.346 acres