DR Horton Sues Rockwall County Over Development Restrictions, Federal Discrimination Claim

D.R. Horton-Texas, Ltd. and DMDS Land Company LLC filed suit over the River Rock Trails development, targeting roughly 1,867 acres of unincorporated land in southern Rockwall County near McClendon-Chisholm and a specific plan for 418 homes on about 85 acres in two phases. The plaintiffs say county actions have blocked preliminary plats for Phase 1A, Phase 1B, a wastewater treatment plant and a remainder tract.

The primary state-court complaint was filed in Rockwall County state district court on June 12, 2025, according to public filings cited in local reporting. A separate civil filing reported July 18, 2025 names Rockwall County, Rockwall County Judge Frank New and Commissioners Bobby Gallana, Dana Macalik, Lorne Liechty and John Stacy in both official and individual capacities. A more recent federal complaint has also been reported alleging discrimination against affordable housing projects; no federal filing date or docket number has been provided in available accounts.

Plaintiffs contend the County unlawfully stalled approvals, imposed conditions beyond its authority at the preliminary plat stage and failed to issue timely, legally sufficient written denial notices as required by state law. The filings assert denial reasons shifted over time or appeared after statutory deadlines and that comparable developments received conditional or phased approvals while River Rock Trails did not. The D.R. Horton spokesperson said by email, "Rockwall County has repeatedly exceeded their statutory authority by denying our applications and has not provided the legal justification required under Texas law."

Rockwall County has pointed to Section 232.110 of the Texas Local Government Code as authority to require developers to pay a share of county infrastructure costs needed to serve new development. The county posted that it will "vigorously defend itself against the claims alleged in the lawsuit." Judge Frank New framed the county position in public remarks, saying, "We want to be the oasis against the urban sprawl that is the metroplex," and warning, "It will fundamentally change Rockwall County... For all intents and purposes, it is a city that this developer is just wanting to drop out of the sky." He also said, "When they are removing cities' ability to annex and actually control development, it has created a wild, wild west scenario... This is something we’re not equipped to deal with."

The dispute unfolded amid prolonged Commissioners Court meetings, workshops, appeals and executive sessions from 2023 through mid-2025. D.R. Horton has said it received approval by the County’s engineering consultants and offered to pay for roads and sheriffs, but appealed after the county denied applications. Local officials and residents have raised service concerns: McLendon-Chisholm Mayor Bryan McNeal said, "When they build these developments, when they're done, they leave... And they offer zero support." An unnamed resident warned, "We're already under water restrictions in our community out in Rockwall County off of 548, and so my question is how are you going to support those houses if we're already under water restrictions? It's unfeasible."

The lawsuits ask the court to declare Rockwall County cannot require D.R. Horton to pay the portion of infrastructure improvement costs the County has demanded; additional remedies in the complaints have not been detailed in the available reporting. With Rockwall County having grown about 25 percent between 2020 and 2024 and Judge New noting the property could yield more than 6,000 houses at full buildout, the state and federal cases will be pivotal for how the county allocates infrastructure costs and manages rapid North Texas growth. The county has said it will vigorously defend its actions as litigation proceeds.