Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is advising Collin County officials to continue rejecting development plans for a proposed Islamic community, citing ongoing litigation related to the project.
The controversial community, planned as an expansion of the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), was originally called EPIC City but later rebranded as The Meadow.
Plans include building up to 1,000 residences plus a mosque, school, and other amenities catering to Muslim families on more than 400 acres in unincorporated areas of Collin and Hunt counties. No development has begun on the property.
“We must protect Texans from illegal schemes, and that’s why I’m advising the Commissioners Court to refrain from approving any new development and platting applications by the EPIC City developers,” said Paxton.
In January, County Judge Chris Hill revealed that Collin officials had rejected an initial application submitted by the project’s developers because it was incomplete, but noted the application would be re-evaluated if and when all required items were submitted.
State law doesn’t allow counties many options to reject development plans.
Paxton’s March 10 letter to Hill and other Collin County Commissioners Court members offers a reason for officials to at least delay approving EPIC City.
“I am advised that to date you have refused to approve EPIC City’s requested plat application due to its multiple deficiencies and the insufficiency of information provided,” Paxton wrote to commissioners.
I write today to advise you that issues relating to some of these deficiencies are the subject of active litigation brought by the State of Texas—namely, the composition of the Double R board of directors and the validity of the purported land annexation designed to facilitate development of the proposed EPIC City project.
“Accordingly, as the State’s chief legal officer, I advise you to reject any relevant plat applications,” added Paxton.
Paxton’s office sued the Double R Municipal Utility District in February, claiming the MUD maneuvered to elect new board members who were ineligible to serve but would approve adding EPIC property to the utility district so developers could avoid forming a new one.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new law last year that he asserted would “ban” the community and others like it, in part by defining EPIC City’s residential ownership model as a deceptive trade practice that could bar developers from receiving state approval to create a new MUD.
Paxton’s letter also advised Collin County commissioners that his office is “involved in separate active litigation against the individuals and business entities behind the proposed EPIC City development for violations of securities laws, including engaging in fraudulent practices while soliciting funds and failing to screen for accredited-investor status.”
He said that lawsuit, filed in December, “casts further doubt on the legitimacy and lawfulness of any requests or development applications made to Collin County.”
“Additional legal action may commence in the future. I urge you to seek your own legal counsel in navigating these issues. As the State’s chief legal officer, however, I advise you that the troubling issues underlying EPIC outlined in the above referenced lawsuits should be considered as reasonable bases to use all lawful means at your disposal to deny efforts to further develop EPIC City in Collin County,” Paxton’s letter concluded.
A spokeswoman for the developers told Texas Scorecard that Paxton’s letter does “not stop” the project, which she described as “open and inclusive.”
“This week, the Texas Attorney General sent a letter to Collin County officials urging them to override the law and interfere with the County’s lawful zoning process,” wrote Emily Black in a statement. “That letter does not stop this project, and no court has halted it or found that any aspect of it is unlawful. We will continue moving forward through the appropriate legal and regulatory process.”
“The Meadow is not a ‘Muslim project.’ It is a residential development open to people of all backgrounds, faiths, and communities,” she stated, expressing concern about “anti-religious animus” directed at the community. “Like any other development in North Texas, it should be evaluated based on the facts and under the law. We remain confident that when the process runs its course and the full record is examined, it will be clear that the project complies with all applicable requirements.”
“The project remains active, and we remain committed to seeing it succeed,” she added. “At the same time, the pattern of shifting standards and political pressure surrounding this project is something our legal team is reviewing carefully, and we will take all appropriate steps to ensure that the process remains lawful and free from religious discrimination.”
Paxton’s office is also investigating a potential similar development in Kaufman County. Such enclaves across Texas that are located within city boundaries are subject to municipal regulations.
For proposed developments in unincorporated areas, the responsibility remains in the hands of county officials to act within the confines of state law.
A Collin County spokesman declined to comment on Paxton’s letter, citing the pending litigation.
