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Anna council approves disannexation for Top Fun Ranch after owner’s plea
Summary
After extended testimony from landowner Brad Neville and staff discussion, the Anna City Council voted to approve disannexation of two parcels associated with Top Fun Ranch. Staff had not recommended approval under current annexation policy.
Brad Neville, owner of Top Fun Ranch, told the Anna City Council he had relied on city-issued permits and a certificate of occupancy that Collin County later found invalid, forcing him to close his business and incur more than $100,000 in costs. After a public hearing and council discussion, the council approved an ordinance to disannex the two parcels Mr. Neville requested.
Neville described a decades-long dispute tied to a 2010 development agreement, saying the city sold him permits and then later county officials said those permits were invalid. "I've had to shut down a business… I ended up selling hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of assets… I would like, I would like you to grant my request," Neville said. Development services director Caleb Kentner told the council staff was unable to recommend approval under current annexation policies but was available to answer council questions and discuss options, including potential annexation with grandfathering rules. Kentner stated staff’s recommendation without endorsing an outcome.
Council members probed alternatives — asking whether the city could grandfather existing facilities or use economic development tools to help Neville restart — and heard that some technical routes may be possible but that Neville had already closed his business and preferred a prompt decision. A motion to approve the disannexation passed on a council vote recorded as five in favor with two abstentions. The ordinance will be entered into the city's records; staff noted further administrative steps will follow to update jurisdictional records and maps.
The hearing included multiple specifics from Neville about inspections, building permits, and interactions with Collin County fire marshals. He told the council he had paid a $2,000 de-annexation permit fee and that attempts to resolve the matter administratively had stretched over years. Council statements acknowledged the hardship described and emphasized balancing precedent and town planning obligations. The council did not vote to provide financial restitution to Neville during this meeting.
