W
illiamson County, a rapidly growing area north of Travis County and home to Austin, is facing the consequences of its explosive population boom. In just 15 years, the county's population has surged from 423,000 to 697,000, driven in part by major economic development projects like Samsung's Taylor factory and Apple's campus. As a result, infrastructure strain is becoming increasingly evident, with water and wastewater utilities being stretched to their limits.

    County officials are proposing changes to the development code that would require developers to secure earlier guarantees for water and sewer services, as well as updates to traffic analyses and lot size minimums. However, developers are pushing back against these proposed changes, arguing that they will create unnecessary delays and drive up costs, ultimately leading to higher home prices.

    Developers claim that the current process has worked in the past, with agreements on utility services negotiated later in the development process. They argue that adding requirements at the county level will only serve to slow down progress. County engineer Adam Boatright notes that infrastructure strain must be addressed, but developers like Seth Mearig of Gray Engineering and Grant Rollo of Randolph Texas Development fear that the proposed changes will lead to delays and increased costs.

    The proposal is still in its early stages, with a public hearing set for December 10. Nothing has been approved yet, and county officials are still accepting input on the matter.