Downtown association presses for short-term fixes as council directs staff to return with Old Town street-direction plan

The newly formed Downtown Hutto Business Association (DHBA) asked the city council at its April 3 meeting for a collaborative workshop and a short-term, phased effort to improve downtown walkability, lighting, façade repairs and parking. The council later voted to ask staff to return by May 1 with a recommended street-direction plan for Old Town and a phased implementation approach.

Gracie Matthews, representing the DHBA, outlined the nonprofit's short- and long-term goals and asked for a May workshop so the association and city leaders could align on priorities. "Our goal is to rehabilitate historic charm and revitalize downtown as a hub for commerce and entertainment through collaboration and community building," Matthews said, detailing short-term ideas such as DHBA-sponsored events, street-lighting improvements and tactical parking solutions.

The request followed staff's presentation of an open-house and online survey on possible one-way street conversions, parking options and timed parking. Transportation staff analyst David Amsler summarized the survey: 151 submissions, of which 53 completed the survey; 57% of respondents were Hutto residents and 32 named themselves business owners in Old Town. Amsler said responses were mixed but favored keeping streets as-is when asked generically; participants did, however, identify event parking and walkability as priorities.

Council direction and vote: After extended discussion, council voted 7-0 to ask staff to return by May 1 with a focused plan on street directions within the Old Town area (the council asked staff to treat the orange-box area between West Street and FM1660, Live Oak to US79, as a minimum focus area). The motion asked staff to provide a refined street-direction map and implementation recommendations; councilmembers emphasized a phased approach that couples restriping/parking changes with signage, public outreach and a plan for temporary event parking while longer-term solutions are evaluated.

Why it matters: Downtown business owners said limited evening parking and inconsistent pedestrian amenities deterred visitors. The DHBA said short-term, visible changes could attract tenants and support longer-term projects such as façade grants or a public parking facility. Council members said they supported a lower-cost, incremental approach—pilot restriping, signage, targeted sidewalk work and temporary event parking—before pursuing major capital work.

What's next: Staff will return with a revised, engineer-vetted street-direction map for the council's review at the May 1 meeting and will coordinate a DHBA workshop during the budget process to align downtown requests with upcoming CIP and budgeting timelines.