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Commission recommends Hutto Residential PUD with 55-foot height and reduced parking to council, 3-1
Summary
After public comment on traffic and privacy, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend a four‑story, 113‑room residential hotel PUD to city council, approving variances for height (45→55 ft) and parking (1.2→0.9) with a condition that shared‑parking negotiations be reported to council.
The Hutto Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend approval of the Huddl (Hutto) Residential PUD and the project's requested variances — increasing the height limit from 45 feet to 55 feet and reducing the parking requirement from 1.2 spaces per room to 0.9 — conditioned on the applicant reporting the status of shared‑parking negotiations to city council.
Staff described the request as a four‑story hotel on a roughly three‑acre infill site in Hansen’s Corner that would be built with a planned 113 rooms. "This is a relatively small site," said Chris Nichols, representing the applicant, and the project team said the reduced parking and increased height were driven by product type and site constraints. Nichols confirmed the proposed occupancy at 113 rooms and told the commission the site plan shows 106 parking spaces.
During the public hearing, Stella Roberts, who identified herself as representing Hutto Discovery United Methodist Church, asked how the project's traffic flow would affect the neighborhood and Edgemont. "How is the traffic point flow? That was something that was not mentioned in the presentation," Roberts said. The applicant replied that the project intends to use existing shared access drives, will not add curb cuts and is pursuing a shared‑parking agreement with Home Depot across the street.
Commissioners discussed whether the requested variances should instead be decided by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Development Services staff said the city's UDC allows concurrent variances within a PUD and that, if agreed, the PUD process can accommodate the variances without separate ZBA hearings. Commissioners debated compromise options — including a design that would remove the fourth floor or lower the requested height to 50 feet — but several members said demand for additional hotel rooms in Hutto supported the request.
Vice Chair Wirtz moved to recommend approval to council of the PUD and variances; Commissioner DeLay seconded. The motion incorporated a friendly amendment that the applicant provide council with the current status of its shared‑parking negotiations. The motion carried 3-1.
The commission's recommendation will go to city council on June 4 for final consideration; council will receive the commission's record including the parking negotiation status requested by the commission.
