LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas — A Liberty County housing development has been making headlines lately, but the developer said it's for all the wrong reasons.
Colony Ridge could even become a topic in an upcoming special session in the Texas Legislature.
Some lawmakers said they're concerned that it's become a community of crime and full of undocumented immigrants.
Developers said the lawmakers are misinformed.
The area
The massive development spans about 10,000 acres. Colony Ridge has been selling plots of land to homeowners for about 10 years and it's still growing.
"We took the individual lots and sold them to consumers that end up building themselves a house," developer Trey Harris said. "The development will probably double in size from what it is now."
They said several new schools are being built because of the growth.
With so many new homes being built, thousands of new students have enrolled at Cleveland ISD schools.
Undocumented immigrants?
Harris said he's disappointed by the adverse attention Colony Ridge has been receiving in recent weeks.
"One way to complain about it is to say, ‘They’re all illegals.’ They’re not. But that’s what they say," Harris said.
There have been alarming allegations surrounding Colony Ridge. Some claim that thousands of undocumented immigrants live there.
"They make it sound as if I send school buses to Mexico City and pick people up and drive them back here and sell them a piece of land, which is the furthest thing from the truth," Harris said. "I would say that we have undocumented immigrants, but most subdivisions in the Houston area have undocumented immigrants in them."
Crime problems?
Others call it a breeding ground for the cartel and crime. Harris said that's not true.
The reports have prompted lawmakers to chime in. United States Rep. Brian Bain called on Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate what's going on in Colony Ridge.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took a tour himself and came out saying that he's concerned because it's too large of an area for law enforcement to patrol.
Patrick said they could discuss the neighborhood during an upcoming special session.
Harris said the crime in Colony Ridge is not unlike the crime in other neighborhoods.
"I think the misinformation that’s out there has got a lot of this part of Texas concerned," Harris said.
He said deputies are contracted to patrol. He also invited lawmakers to come out and take a tour to see for themselves.
"We’re more than happy to take the time to show everybody what we do and why it’s a good thing for Texas and why it’s a good thing for the people who live here," Harris said.
Harris said several lawmakers have RSVP'd for a tour later this week.
The residents
Homeowners who live in the development had mixed reactions when asked about how it was living there.
Some said they feel safe and always have felt that way while others said they don't and they're looking to move.