Resident raises safety and cost concerns in public comment, urges better sidewalks and developer-funded infrastructure
Summary
A Hutto resident told the council she faces long school pickup times, unsafe walkability near Hutto High School and rising utility and tax costs that make retirement unaffordable; she urged the council to require developers to fund sidewalks and other infrastructure.
During the public comment period on Oct. 16, Tammy Quinn of Gaynor Drive told the council she is considering leaving Hutto because rising water, tax and utility rates are making it unaffordable to stay in the city.
Quinn described long auto travel times to pick up grandchildren from Hutto High and said the route lacks protected crosswalks and sidewalks: "There's not a protected crosswalk ... We have no walkable sidewalks. We have no place safe." She said children leaving school have to walk in the grass and on narrow curbs and that the city’s infrastructure burden has been placed on existing residents rather than on developers.
Quinn said in prior service as a mayor she required developers to construct sidewalks, parks and infrastructure as conditions of development and urged Hutto to adopt similar expectations. She asked council to work with TxDOT on crosswalks near the high school and to require private growth to include required sidewalks and safe pedestrian connections.
The council did not take action during public comment but later discussed transportation and intersection projects in the meeting agenda.
