2 History

2.1 EARLY SETTLEMENT ERA AND THE GROWTH OF PFLUGERVILLE

Agricultural use has remained important to this site since settlement activity began. The land is still primarily zoned for agriculture and

has changed very little since after the Civil War. 2 Additionally, the history of the site is intimately tied to that of Austin and especially

Pflugerville.

Settlement in and around Pflugerville began in the 1840s when Henry Pfluger purchased a large tract of land northeast of the then

nascent City of Austin 3 . During the Antebellum years, Pflugerville remained relatively undeveloped, and was utilized as a site of farming

by Pfluger himself. However, development in the Postbellum period began to take off in the fledgling city. By 1875, the area had a

school and church. 4 Eventually a railroad was established, and the city continued to grow slowly until it was incorporated in 1965. 5

In more recent years, the City of Pflugerville has experienced rapid growth mirroring that of the greater Austin area Figure 2. It is the third fastest growing city in Central Texas and grew by 21.7% between 2010 and 2015. This growth has put tremendous pressure on the

City of Pflugerville both from a municipal services perspective and from a community perspective. Increasing amounts of farmland are

being converted into single family housing and shopping centers, straining the city’s ability to provide services to these new residents. 6

By 2030, the city projects will add over 41,000 new residents and further exacerbate the issues associated with rapid development. This

2 Smyrl, “History of Plugerville.” 3 Barnes, “Prospecting Pflugerville’s Past.” 4 Smyrl, “History of Plugerville.” 5 Smyrl. 6 Parker, “Pflugerville 11th-Fastest Growing in Nation.”

suggests that largely undeveloped tracts such as the one analyzed in this report will have great value and face intense development pressures.

Figure 2: Local Cities Population Growth

The City of Austin’s recent history further suggests that the site will face intense development pressures from both Austin and

Pflugerville. Austin has experienced rapid growth in recent decades. To use just one metric to illustrate the extreme growth of Austin,

the population of Austin has double approximately every 25 years since its founding. 7 In addition to this tremendous population growth,

the area has also experienced rapid economic development. As of 2015, Austin in the second fastest growing city economy in the

nation. 8 These trends are not expected to abate in the near-term future. According to a recent report, the Austin economy “enters 2018

7 Shelby, “Austin’s Population Has Doubled Every 25 Years or so since Its Founding.” 8 Grisales, “Report: Austin’s Booming Economy No. 2 in Nation in Growth.”

with a labor market and economy as robust as any it has experienced in nearly two decades”. 9 Moreover, the population of Austin is

expected to grow to over 5 million by 2050. 10 Thus, the development pressures on the site from Austin are likewise expected to be

intense, further increasing the value of the proposed development site. Figure 2.1 shows the population of Austin, Pflugerville, and the

site itself between 2009 and 2016.

2.2. THE AUSTIN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT

Although the study site is dominated by agricultural land use, there are other activities taking place on the site. The primary activity generator within the development site is the Austin Executive Airport, which has its own fascinating history. Ron W. Henriksen had a dream to build a general aviation airport from the ground up. In 1965, Ron paid just over $37,000 (a small fortune at the time) for a plot of land adjacent to Pflugerville. Figure 3 shows the original airport. Then, sometime in early 1966, Ray and his wife Mary began construction on a control tower, hanger, and other various airport facilities. Initially, the primary users of the airport were Ron’s Experimental Aircraft Association of friends who used the airport as a place to build, test, and fly their handmade crafts. After the initial phases of development, the airport slowly began to expand its operations. By 1976 more land had been acquired for the airport and by 1977, a six unit hanger and more extensive aviation facilities had been built on the property.

In the late 2000’s, Ron began an ambitious modernization and retrofitting project that aimed to revamp the airport; and by 2011, the

newly renamed and redesigned Austin Executive Airport opened. 11 Today the airport serves as a hub for over 40,000 private and

chartered flights annually. Moreover, the airport continues to expand its operations and has just recently added a new control tower. 12

9 Zehr, “Austin’s 2018 Economy.” 10 “Population | Greater Austin Profile | Economic Development | Austin Chamber of Commerce.” 11 “New Austin Executive Airport.” 12 Epstein, “Austin Executive To Receive New Tower.”

Overall, the Austin Executive Airport had been of tremendous importance for both Austin and the surrounding Central Texas region. Texas State Senator Kirk Watson defined Ron Heriksen’s work with the Austin Executive Airport as an element that helps to increase transportation infrastructure and supports economic development in Austin. Dave Fulton, Director of the Texas Department of Transportation indicates that Heriksen has made great contributions to Texas general aviation. Overall, Heriksen spent $30 million building the Houston Executive Airport and recently another $33 million developing the Austin Executive Airport.

Figure 3: The Old Austin Executive Airport