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 staff reported receiving 12 written responses opposed, four in favor, one undecided and two petitions (one with 80 responses not in favor, another with 85).

Developer Hugo Morales of Main Square Development, who described the company as new but said he has more than 22 years’ experience as a consultant on large projects, said the plan aims to mix uses, provide connectivity and create an “outdoor lifestyle community” with trails, parks and neighborhood amenities. “The vision we had when we started master planning this project, we looked at the overall, at the city of Terrell and then the region,” Morales said.

Residents urged the council to slow the process and require phased approvals. Pamela Robertson, a nearby resident, asked the council to “not just rubber stamp the whole thing” and to approve the project in phases so the developer must demonstrate performance before later phases proceed. “There’s too many — I mean, we’re talking 16, 20 years out. Things change so rapidly now,” Robertson said.

Other speakers described specific proximity and quality-of-life concerns. Giovanni Valencia Aguilar, a disabled veteran who said his home at 1018 Meredith Drive is within 200 feet of the Terra Nova buffer, asked the developer to design the project to minimize noise and protect his quality of life. Holly Myers, who lives on Griffith Road, told the council “I have 31 houses that will now back up to my fence line,” and said she breeds show horses and worries about conflicts between new homeowners and livestock.

Staff and technical review: Raylan Smith, director of municipal development, said planners have reviewed a traffic impact analysis and drainage plan; both were provided to the city engineer and staff. Smith said other studies — including tree surveys and additional engineering — will be required at the construction-plat stage and that traffic impact analyses will be revisited as individual phases advance. Smith also noted part of the property sits in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, which introduces legal and annexation issues the council needs to resolve before taking final action.

At the Planning and Zoning Commission hearing on Aug. 28, the commission voted unanimously in favor of the zoning request, according to staff. Wampler told council staff had received an additional written opposition from the Meredith Drive address earlier the same day as the meeting.

What the council did: After the public hearing, Mayor Ronnie Velasquez moved to suspend taking action on the zone change and to continue the public hearing to Nov. 4 so that staff and council could obtain and review outstanding information, including proposed development-agreement term sheets and petition calculations. The council voted to postpone and ordered staff to republish notice to property owners within the required 200-foot buffer.

Next steps: The council will reconvene the public hearing at the Nov. 4 meeting, when citizens who spoke previously and any other interested parties may present additional comments. Staff said petitions and protest calculations would be reviewed by legal counsel and the city secretary and brought back to council for consideration.

Votes at a glance: The council moved to postpone action on ordinance No. 3118 (rezoning to Planned Development — Terra Nova PD25-3118). The motion to continue the public hearing to Nov. 4 was made by Mayor Ronnie Velasquez, seconded by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Donna Renee Anderson, and carried by the council (recorded on the meeting minutes as carried; council did not provide a roll-call tally in the transcript).

Background: Wampler said the proposal’s future land uses are listed as new traditional neighborhood and local retail and office in the city’s comprehensive plan. The developer’s concept shows an internal thoroughfare network intended to connect to State Highway 205 and to relieve local congestion by offering multiple routes through the new addition. Staff warned that further analysis will be required at each phase of development.

What wasn’t decided: The council did not approve any rezoning or development agreement on Sept. 16. Council members and staff emphasized that annexation and development-agreement details remain unresolved and that the public hearing will be reopened on Nov. 4 with additional notice to affected property owners.

Reporting note: This article is based on the public hearing and subsequent council discussion recorded at the Sept. 16, 2025 Terrell City Council meeting, staff presentations and statements by the developer and multiple residents.