Rockwall County, Texas – D.R. Horton, a national homebuilder, is suing Rockwall County in North Texas because it says the county’s housing development limitations are obstructive. The Arlington-based company, which is known for building large residential projects all over the country, has filed two lawsuits—one in state court and the other more recently in federal court—against the county, saying that it has gone too far and is actively stopping the building of new homes, especially those that are meant to be more affordable.
The county maintains that the infrastructure needs are necessary for managing growth, while D.R. Horton says that they are overly restrictive and discriminatory. The homebuilder says that the rules about building roads and upgrading utilities are so strict that they block new projects from getting forward in parts of the county that aren’t part of a city.
Rockwall County Judge Frank New sees the situation differently. In a recent interview with Spectrum Local News, he framed the lawsuits as part of a broader battle to preserve the character and independence of rural communities facing increasing pressure from urban sprawl.
“We want to be the oasis against the urban sprawl that is the metroplex,” he said, making clear that Rockwall County isn’t opposed to growth—it just wants it on its own terms.
New didn’t hold back in his assessment of D.R. Horton’s legal strategy, accusing the company of attempting to muscle through local decision-making.
“They’re being big bullies and trying to shove their weight around,” he said.
He further said that additional lawsuits might be coming, referring to what he sees as a history of aggressive legal maneuvers.
The argument is about who should pay for the roads and other infrastructure needed to support new neighborhoods in the county’s less developed areas. New says that putting the fees on current residents is unacceptable. He said that the current residents had to pay for the developer’s infrastructure without giving up anything. It’s clear what he thinks: developers should be responsible for bringing whole new communities into areas that aren’t part of a city.
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The dispute also shows that there has been a lot of tension over Municipal Utility Districts, or MUDs, for a long time. These entities allow developers to finance infrastructure through state-approved districts, often bypassing county oversight. Critics, like New, say that this strategy makes counties weak and puts a lot of stress on the residents.
Despite years of lobbying in Austin for greater local control, New believes the courtroom may now be the only place to assert county authority. “The entire state is watching this. I mean, there’s going to be ripples statewide,” he said.
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D.R. Horton, on the other hand, says it has followed all the rules and that the county is just going too far. The company said in a statement that Rockwall County “has repeatedly exceeded their statutory authority by denying our applications” and has not given any valid reasons for doing so.
As the legal process goes on, the conclusion of this fight between a big developer and a rapidly rising county might have big effects outside of Rockwall’s borders.
