Hutto City Council recently directed the Hutto Economic Development Corporation to move forward with a new fire station near the Hutto Megasite.

The overview: The new station aims to enhance fire protection in one of Hutto’s fastest-growing areas.

"Hutto Economic Development Corporation recognizes that strong public infrastructure is just as important as any economic development initiative we undertake,” Caitlin Morales, vice chair of the HEDC, said in a press release. “This investment ensures that as Hutto grows, our residents and businesses are protected."

Dig deeper: Snyder cited the city’s rapid growth for the decision to move forward with establishing its own fire department. He said that as cities expand, it is common for local governments to take over fire services from ESDs, which were originally intended for rural areas.

Leaders with the emergency services district expressed some concerns over the decision, stating in a press release that “the district does not understand the decision to create a duplicate fire protection system alongside” its existing service.

New homes within The Trails at Carmel in Pflugerville are now up for sale.

The overview: Ashton Woods announced in May that its 500 homes in the new community are officially for sale, offering floor plans with three to five bedroom, two to five bathrooms and options for two to three car garages.

The homebuilder is offering the “Studio” experience for new homes at The Trails at Carmel, according to a news release. The program offers buyers the chance to collaborate with designers to customize their new home. The community has four model homes buyers can tour, all furnished by different designers.

“Leading this project meant curating a team of four designers whose distinct sensibilities could each bring one of these models to life,” Amanda Sims, design studio manager at Ashton Woods, said in the release. “Our goal was a collection that feels layered and personal at the model level, yet intentional and cohesive as a neighborhood. The result is homes with real character, and a community that reflects personal style.”

In smaller communities and cities around the Greater Austin area, demand for health care specialists has risen at a rate unmatched by access to professionals, said Ashley Price, Austin Regional Clinic's vice president of operations.

Austin Regional Clinic, or ARC, is expanding its specialty services both north and south of Austin to provide unique care to residents in the surrounding cities.

Current situation: Access to health care specialists in Central Texas can be a barrier for residents seeking medical care, Price said. While cities neighboring Austin are growing rapidly, the nation faces a shortage of both primary care physicians and specialists.

Specialists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants with ARC travel to multiple clinic locations to meet patients where there is a need, so they are not required to journey into Austin for care.

The specifics: ARC is further expanding with the opening of a Lockhart clinic on June 15, and ARC South Specialty in South Austin, opening in phases beginning June 1.

ARC also opened the Greenlawn Specialty clinic in Round Rock on Jan. 19.

From a new apartment community in Austin to a trail in Cedar Park, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Pflugerville Business Park ($37 million): This project involves the construction of the shell industrial buildings with speculative office space in each.

2. Oak Hill Highline Phase II ($26 million): Construction on a 129,306-square-foot apartment community will begin in September.

3. Buda Sportsplex Phase I ($15.2 million): A multifaceted expansion and enhancement of the Buda Sportsplex began last summer and will run through September.

4. Lakeline Park to WilCo trail connection and pedestrian bridge ($9.65 million): This project involves the construction of a one-mile trail connecting Lakeline Park to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail, including a pedestrian bridge crossing South Bell Boulevard.

5. Cedar Park Police Department dispatch renovation ($3 million): This project involves approximately 5,000 square feet of office space renovation for the communications center relocation. 

On May 26, Democratic voters will choose their nominee for Texas lieutenant governor in a runoff election between state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, and union leader Marcos Vélez.

The big picture: The Democratic race for lieutenant governor is one of several statewide contests that advanced to May runoffs after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election.

Goodwin and Vélez were the two highest-performing candidates in the three-person primary race, with Goodwin collecting 48% of the vote and Vélez receiving 31%. The winner of the May 26 overtime round will face incumbent Dan Patrick and potential third-party candidates in the November midterm election.

Some context: The lieutenant governor leads the Texas Senate and can exercise the powers of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, is removed from office or is absent from the state, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

At the polls: Texans can vote early from May 18-22, and runoff election day is May 26.