Fort Worth City Council August 13, 2024

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CC August 13, 2024

District: 8 | Far South

District: 4 | Far North

District: 6 | Far Southwest

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DISTRICT: 8
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Eagle's Crossing P3 1700 McPherson Rd

Far South | 11.66 Acres | 107 Units | Approved

City Council 8/13/24

Rezoning | Approved

The Fort Worth City Council approved Lennar’s 107-unit rezoning request on August 13, 2024, overturning the Zoning Commission's unanimous recommendation for denial. The 8-1-1 vote, with no discussion, allows the development of 107 detached multifamily units on 11.66 acres at 1700 McPherson Road. This decision converts land previously zoned for neighborhood commercial use to a planned development for residential purposes.

Zoning Commission 7/10/24

Rezoning | Denied

Lennar’s representative Brandon O'Donald argued that the area needed housing more than commercial space.

Brandon O'Donald
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‟The fact remains that housing is needed in this area as well. Right now there's just no demand for the commercial retail office use that's on the property now.

Brandon O'Donald, Pape-Dawson Engineers

O'Donald also emphasized that the development would help fund crucial infrastructure improvements, including expanding McPherson Road.

However, the Zoning Commission was not swayed by these arguments. Commissioner Tiesa Leggett, representing District 8, strongly opposed the rezoning. Leggett emphasized the need to preserve land for future commercial development.

Tiesa Leggett
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‟I am not supportive of it. This will be the first time I'm going against this particular case because I understand the area. I know we need affordable housing. There has been an increase in our area, but we don't want just anything in there.

Tiesa Leggett, Zoning Commissioner, District 8

Commissioner Jeremy Raines echoed these concerns, focusing on the scarcity of commercial zoning.

Jeremy Raines
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‟I personally have a hard time removing commercial. There's just so little of it, and to remove it means it's gone forever usually. Those kinds of amenities are what communities need.

Jeremy Raines, Zoning Commissioner, Fort Worth District 7

The Commission prioritized the preservation of commercial land over new housing with a denial of the rezoning request.

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Developer: Lennar, Max Bryant Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Owner: MEI Group, Nehad Dwikat Phone: (316) 841-3306 LinkedIn
Staff Report: ZC-24-054 SR
Project Plans: ZC-24-054 Plan

North City Apartments P2 8601 & 8701 North City Dr

Far North | 10.1 Acres | 469 Units | Approved

City Council 8/13/24

Site Plan | Approved

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City Council 2/23/21

Rezoning | Approved

The site plan for Cross Development’s Phase 2 of North City Apartments was approved by the Fort Worth City Council on August 13, 2024, without discussion. This approval added the required site plan to the existing PD 1302 Planned Development zoning for Urban Residential uses at 8601 & 8701 North City Drive.

The approved plan features two multifamily buildings totaling approximately 504,500 square feet on 10.1 acres, with 469 units at a density of 45.84 units per acre. The four-story buildings will be constructed with 60% masonry and 40% fiber cement siding or panel. The development includes 705 parking spaces, exceeding the required 647, with a mix of garage, on-street, and off-street parking.

The site plan incorporates several modifications to standard zoning requirements, such as allowing surface parking between buildings and streets, and reduced landscaping requirements compared to typical Urban Residential zoning.

The Zoning Commission had previously recommended approval with a vote of 8-0, and the staff report noted no significant opposition or support from the community.

Developer: Cross Development, Spencer Morrison Phone: (469) 328-3061 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Owner: Steve McKeever Phone: (817) 236-6100 Email: [email protected]
Staff Report: SP-24-007 SR
Project Plans: SP-24-007 Plan
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DISTRICT: 6
Far Southwest | 424.31 Acres | Approved

Walton’s Rock Creek Ranch deal in Far Southwest Fort Worth has undergone significant changes in response to community feedback. Initially including 30-foot lots and multifamily housing, the plan now focuses solely on for-sale single-family homes. The revised proposal features 40-foot-wide lots for most of the 424-acre site, with a portion dedicated to larger 10,000-square-foot lots.

Community sentiment turned from largely negative to positive. Initially, residents of nearby Panther Heights expressed concerns about increased traffic, reduced property values, and strain on infrastructure. Kevin Schwan, a neighbor, worried about "uncontrolled growth" and its impact on the area. Clifton Borne from the Panther Heights Association feared the higher density would devalue their existing acre lots.

The approval came after months of community engagement and revisions to the original plan. The developers worked closely with local residents and District 6 Council Member Jared Williams to address concerns and find compromises. The final proposal features a mix of 40-foot-wide lots for most of the site, with larger 80-85-foot wide lots serving as a transition to neighboring communities.

Paul King, a resident who initially opposed the project, spoke in favor at the August Council meeting. He praised the compromise reached.

Paul King
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‟The proposal you have in front of you provides a very effective transition between the rural character of my neighborhood and the dense that are under our already under development or proposed to the south and west.

Paul King, Resident, Fort Worth District 6

Council Member Williams, who presides over the project’s district, strongly endorsed the deal and commended the developers for their community engagement efforts. He highlighted the innovative approach to addressing housing issues.

Jared Williams
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‟This is a very innovative approach to addressing some of the conversations we've been having as a council about missing middle housing, and ways to try to continue to figure out ways to promote density and get homes…home sales prices are going through the roof and still trying to maintain an A-5 product with density.

Jared Williams, Council Member, Fort Worth District 6

The approved plan includes provisions for hundreds of acres of parks and open space, a new highway interchange, and land reserved for a future fire and police station. The development will feature rear-entry homes on the smaller lots. Most of the site (84%) would be rezoned to "PD/A-5" Planned Development for all uses in A-5 One Family Residential, with modified development standards. The remaining 16% would be rezoned to "A-10" One Family Residential. The PD/A-5 zoning reduces minimum lot sizes from 5,000 to 4,000 square feet and minimum lot widths from 50 to 40 feet. The A-10 zoning requires 10,000 square foot minimum lot sizes.

Ben Raef of Westwood Professional Services emphasized that all homes would be for sale, addressing concerns about rental properties. He also highlighted plans for infrastructure improvements, including roadway enhancements and a new water storage tank.

This approval is a significant shift from the project's reception at the Zoning Commission, where it faced a narrow denial.

Zoning Commission 7/10/24

Rezoning | Denied

Commissioner Jacob Wurman voiced concerns about the density. Wurman also raised issues about street parking in the proposed development.

Jacob Wurman
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‟50-foot is already too small in my estimation, 40 is just putting more fuel on the fire.

Jacob Wurman, Zoning Commissioner, Fort Worth District 10

On the other hand, Commissioner Broderick Williams appreciated the developer's community engagement efforts. He believed the project would "help the infrastructure issues that the opposition is addressing today." Williams made the motion to approve the zoning change.

Broderick Williams
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‟I appreciate the due diligence that you've been doing working with the community as well as the council of the area…I believe that what is going to be built is going to help the infrastructure issues that the opposition is addressing today.

Broderick Williams, Zoning Commissioner, Fort Worth District 6

The decision was close, with a 5-3 vote in favor of approval. However, this fell short of the six votes needed to pass, resulting in a recommendation for denial.

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Developer/Owner: Walton, Anthony Ybarra Phone: (403) 265-4255 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Builder: D.R. Horton
Staff Report: ZC-24-027 SR
Project Plans: ZC-24-027 Plan
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