A woman with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) threatened to call security on around 500 people who showed up at Canyon Lake High School’s cafeteria Tuesday, Feb. 10 for a public hearing on the wastewater permit Lennar Homes needs before it can break ground on an 850-home development on 230 acres in Fischer.
Broken Cedar Ranch subdivision would be located along FM 484 between FM 32 and FM 306.
Lennar applied to the TCEQ for approval of a permit for a wastewater treatment plant that would discharge up to 600,000 gallons of treated wastewater per day into Potters Creek and Canyon Lake.
The application did not sit well with Canyon Lake and area residents concerned about the impact the development would have on Canyon Lake, water supplies, infrastructure and quality of life in the Texas Hill Country.
Dr. Donna Campbell (R-25), the state senator who represents Canyon Lake in the Texas legislature, in January 2025 asked TCEQ to schedule a hearing so residents could voice their opinions.
At Tuesday’s meeting was Leesa Brieger with Fischer Friends, a coalition of Comal County residents who oppose the development.
She said although Tuesday’s crowd was angry and cynical no one behaved in a threatening manner.
“They were only ever talking about water,” she said.
Two fully armed law-enforcement officers stood at the front of the room next to the speakers.
“And it was just uncalled for. There is no need to say anything like that because nobody was doing anything.”
Comal County Sheriff Mark Reynolds confirmed Comal ISD contracted with two off-duty sheriff deputies to provide security for the event. At some point during the meeting, deputies radioed two on-duty deputies in case backup was needed.
Brieger also criticized the way TCEQ ran the meeting.
Speakers were hard to follow, she said. TCEQ employees were not clearly identified and it was difficult to determine who worked for Lennar. The panel of speakers remained seated and were not visible to most of the audience.
“It was overall a good night because people were able to express their concerns,” she said. “However, many people feel discouraged because it seems that TCEQ has teamed up with Lennar to protect their interests rather than protecting our environment and our people.”
Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) Technical Director Mike Clifford said attendees were mostly concerned about the discharge of such a large amount of treated sewage effluent into Canyon Lake.
Fischer Neighbors is a member of the nonprofit, which promotes broad-based advocacy for the protection and preservation of the Edwards Aquifer, its springs, watershed, the Texas Hill Country and represents 64 members in 21 counties.
“Most of the attendees get their water from Canyon Lake and not area wells,” he said. “They were up in arms because their drinking water already ‘smells like poop,’ likely due to the low water-level lake conditions, about 60% full, and excess hydrogen sulfide.
“Many residents commented not just about their concerns of dumping 600,000 gallons per day (of) wastewater into their drinking-water supply but also the lack of water availability in the area and the strain on those water resources of adding a development that will likely consume close to one million gallons-per-day of water,” Clifford said.
Speaking during public comments, former Comal County Tax-Collector Kristen Hoyt, a Republican running against Kayne Parrish for county judge in the March 3 primary, said damage from development is “not theoretical, it’s permanent, expensive and often universal.”
Wastewater facilities are treated as standalone projects, she said. While they may meet regulatory standards, they do not protect long-term security or quality of life for residents.
“The statewide bureaucratic system is failing Texas,” she said. “Counties and local communities are left managing these consequences, whether it’s degraded water quality, strained infrastructure or emergency response, without having legal authority to stop or shape projects before harm occurs. That gap between responsibility and authority is a failure of our system. We’re reaching a point where continuing to approve facilities under existing standards is no longer sustainable.”
“…The cost of getting this wrong will be paid for by the residents, not the applicant and once that cost is paid it cannot be undone.”
Hoyt’s speech drew applause and cheers from the crowd.
Comal County Pct. 4 Commissioner Jen Crownover, who represents Fischer on Commissioners Court, was out of the country and couldn’t attend the meeting.
She sent Pct. 1 Commissioner Doug Leecock, who represents the south side of Canyon Lake, in her place.
Commenting on Facebook Tuesday, he said TCEQ and Lennar Homes “heard a resounding no” during the three-hour meeting.
“The action last night was only for wastewater, not a drinking permit from a water provider, of which they do not have,” he said. “… I am reiterating the very clear concerns of our community to state representatives. For changes to happen, legislation needs to be passed.”