Terrell council denies Vulcan planned development after hours of resident opposition; council asks company to return with SUP

Terrell, Texas — After more than two hours of public comment, the Terrell City Council on April 8 voted 4–1 to overrule the Planning & Zoning Commission and deny a proposed planned development by Vulcan Materials Co., sending the company back to the city to apply for a specific use permit (SUP).

The proposal covered five parcels totaling about 502.6903 acres along U.S. 80 and FM 429. Business development manager Dana Wampler introduced the application to the council as a rezoning request to allow a planned development with industrial uses including a rail yard, batch plant and stone sales.

Why it matters: Residents who live along FM 429 said a large aggregate operation would sharply increase heavy-truck traffic on narrow, winding two-lane roads without shoulders, creating safety, dust, noise and property-value concerns. Supporters, including Vulcan representatives, said the operation would supply aggregates needed for area growth and that the company would use mitigation measures for dust, lighting and noise.

Residents pressed safety and quality-of-life concerns during the public hearing. “That is a massive impact,” said Jay Holloman, a resident of FM 429 who said fully loaded trucks would pass near his home “every two minutes the entire workday Monday through Friday.” Cash Lockhead, who owns property bordering the Vulcan parcels, told councilors the company told him it planned to move “a million tons annually,” a figure he used to illustrate the scale of expected truck traffic. Many other neighbors described blind curves, steep ditches and school bus stops along FM 429 that they said make heavy-truck traffic unsafe.

Vulcan said it had chosen the site because the city’s 2017 comprehensive plan identifies an “East Side industrial business park” at that location and because the company’s product is needed to support local construction and infrastructure. “The reason we came to Terrell, or we want to come to Terrell, is there’s growth happening here, and growth requires aggregate, and we wanna be a responsible partner in that,” said Tyler Lowe, a Vulcan representative.

Council debate and action: Planning & Zoning had recommended approval. At council, members discussed process options including requiring an SUP that would allow the council to set conditions and require specific mitigation. Mayor Pro Tem Stephanie Holmes Thomas moved to overrule Planning & Zoning’s recommendation, deny the planned development as submitted, and require Vulcan to return with a specific use permit application. The motion carried 4–1.

What the council’s action does: The council’s vote does not permanently ban industrial use on the property. Instead it denies the developer’s chosen route (a planned development ordinance) and requires the applicant to seek an SUP if it wants to pursue the proposed operations. An SUP process would require another public notice period, review by Planning & Zoning and a new council vote; it also would allow the council to attach specific conditions (hours, route restrictions, screening, dust controls, expiration terms and similar measures).

Officials noted next steps: City staff said that if Vulcan returns with an SUP or a different proposal, the developer will be required to provide a construction plan, traffic impact analysis, drainage study and other technical exhibits during that later phase of review. Several council members asked staff to make sure any follow‑up application include a traffic study describing estimated truck volumes and routing before the council acts.

Voices from the hearing: Speakers included dozens of nearby residents (several named above), Planning & Zoning members and business representatives. Planning & Zoning board member Matthew Malone, a local real-estate broker, explained the P&Z role: its charge is to judge proposals against the city’s comprehensive plan and ordinances; the board recommended the PD because it fit the existing land‑use designation.

Ending: The developer may now choose to submit an SUP application or alter its proposal. Council members said they would expect detailed traffic and mitigation studies with any revised application, and residents said they will continue to press for routing and safety protections for FM 429 and downtown roadways.