Rockwall commissioners disapprove four River Rock Trails preliminary plats, citing water, safety and apportionment concerns

Rockwall County Commissioners on March 25 voted 5-0 to disapprove four preliminary plats connected to the River Rock Trails development, including Phase 1A, Phase 1B, a wastewater treatment plant site and the remainder tract. Commissioners said the developer had not satisfied technical review comments, had not demonstrated adequate water service or a final emergency-services arrangement, and had not resolved apportionment and open-space requirements before approval.

The disapprovals came after more than an hour of public comment and technical exchanges between county reviewers and the applicant’s team. Residents and nearby city officials urged the court to slow the project over infrastructure and safety worries. Mayor Brian McNeal of McClendon Chisholm told the court the city “does not recognize this contract with D.R. Horton,” saying his city voted last July not to honor a developer agreement for fire/EMS and that the developer had not engaged city leaders on those issues.

Why it matters: The plats cover the early legal steps for a large subdivision proposed in the county’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. Approval would have cleared the way for later…