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Commission sends Big Creek Estates preliminary plat back to planning and zoning for corrections
Summary
After residents and staff raised zoning and subdivision concerns — including water availability, minimum lot sizes, cul‑de‑sac radius and septic prohibition — the commission referred the Big Creek Estates preliminary plat back to the planning commission with a list of specific items to address.
Ellis County commissioners on Jan. 6 reviewed the Big Creek Estates third addition preliminary plat and referred it back to the planning and zoning commission with requested corrections and conditions, after staff and residents identified multiple regulatory issues.
Justin Craig, environmental services director, described the application for 14 residential lots and one stormwater retention lot north of Reservation Road and said staff had flagged items to be added to the final plat: explicit water‑well setback compliance, an agreement demonstrating access to Big Creek Sewer District (because septics will not be allowed), a stormwater plan that satisfies county requirements, and controlled access points to Reservation Road. Craig also noted concerns about cul‑de‑sac radius and double‑frontage lots, and said the governing subdivision regulations allow either required corrections or a request for exceptions.
Local resident James Graham urged denial on multiple legal and technical grounds, citing county subdivision and zoning sections that require proof of adequate water supply, county road standards for private streets intended to be accepted by the county, and minimum lot sizes tied to centralized water and sewer. “Because of these blatant violations to the county rules and regulations, it is my opinion that this plan is in violation of several county rules, and I implore you, the county commissioners, to reject this proposal until such a time that the developer can offer remedy to these inaccuracies,” Graham said.
Developer and engineer representatives said they will provide required items on the final plat and that some deviations reflect the area’s existing development patterns. After discussion the commission adopted a motion, 3–0, to return the preliminary plat to planning and zoning with a list of issues to be addressed and to invite concerned residents to participate in the planning commission review prior to the next county hearing.
