In spite of the state's effort to stop him, Dallas developer Shawn Todd is moving ahead with his plans to create a luxury gated community on nearly 1,500 acres of land where Fairfield Lake State Park has stood since 1954.
The state has been leasing the land but with the lease expiring the owner sold the land to Todd's development firm. But last week, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission voted to acquire the land by eminent domain to keep the state park going.
But at a press conference Thursday, attorney Monica Latin said her firm had been retained by Todd Interests to fight the state in court.
Todd tells 1080 KRLD Business Analyst David Johnson that the most recent legislature had two bills proposed - one in the House and one in the Senate to condemn the property so the state could take it. But both bills failed to advance and Todd says the state's elected officials realize that "condemnation is not popular in the state of Texas."
Todd objects to unelected TPW commissioners making a decision that contradicts the will of the legislature.
Legal experts have said this court battle between Todd and the state could be a long and drawn-out process.
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