Terrell council postpones decision on 1,544-acre Terra Nova development after public objections

Terrell City Council on Tuesday postponed a vote on a proposed master-planned development called Terra Nova, a roughly 1,544.5-acre project that would rezone agricultural and other parcels to a planned development mixed-use classification.

The council suspended the public hearing and moved to continue it to Nov. 4 to give staff and council more time to review petitions, finalize term sheets and resolve issues tied to property that lies outside city limits. Mayor Ronnie Velasquez made the motion to postpone and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Donna Renee Anderson seconded it; the council recorded the motion as carried and set a continued public hearing for Nov. 4.

Why it matters: Terra Nova would be one of the largest developments in the area, proposing thousands of housing units, a 50-acre mixed-use village square and a network of parks and trails. Residents who live near the project told the council they fear traffic, noise, loss of small-town character and impacts to wells, wetlands and animal operations.

Jenna Wampler, the city’s business development manager, told the council the developer has purchased “roughly 1,500 acres” and submitted a concept that includes 3,600 single-family homes, 1,200 multifamily units and a 50-acre Village Square with shops and neighborhood services. “This project is projected to span from 15 to 20 years encompassing 14 phases,” Wampler said during the hearing. She said staff had mailed 141 notices to property owners within the 200-foot buffer; at the planning-and-zoning meeting…