A nearly 10-acre garden nursery on State Highway 276 that has been hosting bridal showers and birthday parties for years will get its first formal hearing before Rockwall City Council on Monday, Aug. 3.
Ron Hawkins, owner of Land Art of Rockwall and its retail arm Honey Locust Farms at 4571 SH-276, is requesting a Specific Use Permit to operate a banquet facility and event hall alongside the existing plant nursery, according to the city's agenda packet.
The hearing caps a months-long compliance process that began in December 2025, when the city's Neighborhood Improvement Services division opened a code enforcement case after discovering the property was hosting events and running a coffee shop without a Certificate of Occupancy.
How it got here
Hawkins met with city staff on Dec. 11, 2025, to discuss the violations. The 9.94-acre property had been zoned Agricultural since its 2008 annexation into the city, and banquet uses weren't permitted under any available zoning category that fit the site's Comprehensive Plan designation.
City staff mapped out a three-step fix: amend the Unified Development Code to allow banquet facilities in Light Industrial districts by SUP, rezone the property to Light Industrial, then apply for the permit.
"Over time, gatherings at the location have evolved to include things such as birthday parties or meetings," Hawkins told the council on Jan. 5, when he first appeared to discuss the situation. He said landscaping classes had been held at the property for roughly 20 years and that events grew to host 100 to 125 people, though there are no kitchen facilities on site.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 on Feb. 10 to recommend the text amendment. Planning Director Ryan Miller told the commission on Feb. 10 that the change amounted to "a one letter change in the permissible use chart." Council approved it on March 2 by a 6-0 vote as Ordinance No. 26-06, with Mayor McCallum absent.
The property has since been rezoned to Light Industrial, though the exact date of that action does not appear in available city records.
What's at stake
Hawkins has operated the nursery since 1999 and founded Land Art of Rockwall in 1988. If the SUP is granted, Honey Locust Farms can legally continue hosting events and expand its offerings. The business announced a new event space called "The Cottage" on its Instagram account in July 2025, describing it as a pond-side venue for weddings, showers, photography sessions, and workshops.
Without the permit, the property would remain out of compliance with city code.
What happens next
Monday's hearing is a first reading only. A second reading and final vote at a subsequent council meeting are required before the SUP takes effect. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 385 S. Goliad St. Residents can speak during the public hearing.
