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ZC May 14, 2025

District: 6 | Far Southwest

District: 6 | Wedgwood

District: 2 | Northside

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DISTRICT: 6
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Enclave Tavolo Park 7200 block Bryant Irvin Rd

Far Southwest | 12.591 Acres | 362 Units | Denied

Zoning Commission 5/14/25

PD/G → PD/D | Denied

The Fort Worth Zoning Commission's May 14, 2025 meeting resulted in the denial of Integrated Real Estate Group's request to rezone 12.59 acres from commercial to high-density multifamily at 7200 Bryant Irvin Road. The case concluded with a failed 6-4 motion to approve, effectively denying the application and sending it to City Council with a recommendation against the zoning change. The proposed 362-unit development would have introduced four-story elevator buildings into the Tavolo Park master-planned community, converting land originally designated for commercial use along Altamesa Boulevard.

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Kenneth Fambro of Integrated Real Estate Group presented their vision for a differentiated multifamily product. The four-story elevator buildings marked a departure from typical three-story walk-ups, with Fambro stating that 23% of their existing portfolio consists of residents aged 55 and above. The proposed unit mix—204 one-bedrooms, 148 two-bedrooms, and 16 three-bedrooms—aligned with this demographic targeting. The design incorporated form-based code principles, positioning buildings to front Bryant Irvin Road and Quail Ridge Road while concealing parking in interior courtyards. First-floor units would feature either stooped entries or private yards, with tuck-under garages connecting to climate-controlled interior corridors.

The development proposed 22% open space, a reduction from the 35% requirement in D High Density Multifamily districts. Fambro explained this resulted from the form-based design approach prioritizing street-facing architecture over traditional suburban setbacks. An updated site plan integrated the leasing office into one of the main buildings, reducing the unit count by six to 362 total units while increasing open space. The amenity package included over 5,000 square feet of interior space featuring resident lounge, fitness facilities, conference room, and business center, plus exterior amenities including a resort-style pool and pickleball court.

Savanna Kwieran, identifying herself as one of two homeowner-elected board members of the Tavolo Park HOA, presented opposition on behalf of what she described as "a coalition from Tavolo Park, Ladera at Tavolo Park, Quail Ridge, Vista Ridge, Briercliff Estates and Mira Vista all united in purpose."

Kwieran’s points of opposition ranged the full gamut of typical arguments: crime, traffic, infrastructure, property values, desire for commercial, etc. Kwieran’s data was anecdotal, using generalized terms like "piles" of trash, a "spike in crime," and an "increasing number" of car accidents attributed to traffic concerns. She described specific problems with existing multifamily developments, stating that "discarded mattresses, furniture, and toxic trash spill from their derelict garbage area into our main entrance."

Savanna Kwieran
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‟We immediately started experiencing a spike in crime, most notably the unlawful use of our private amenities. Police were called four nights a week for 6 months in 2023 as trespassers invaded our pool and engaged in drug use, property damage, and violence.

Savanna Kwieran, HOA Board Member, 7460 Pondview Ln,

Kwieran noted the Tavolo Park townhomes situation where the owner "converted them into a rental apartment complex in violation of our CC&Rs" and is now "in default on unpaid dues and fees in excess of a quarter of a million dollars."

infrastructure

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Infrastructure limitations featured prominently in the opposition's case. Altamesa/Dirks Road remains a two-lane road described by Kwieran as having "no plans or bonds for widening." The presence of Great Hearts Lakeside, Trinity Valley, Fort Worth Academy, and Southwest Christian School creates what she characterized as "a significant traffic bottleneck" and an "increasing number of severe auto accidents especially during rush hour and school hours." At the end of her speech, she stated that her testimony "establishes a precedent that multifamily development in our area is neither sustainable nor beneficial."

While Kwieran did not provide any specific police log data, traffic studies, property value analysis, or images, her claims did affect the Commission’s decision.

Rafael McDonnell
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‟When you have this much and this vocal level of opposition... that can't be ignored.

Rafael McDonnell, Chair, Zoning Commission, Fort Worth District 5

Commissioner Jeremy Raines (District 7) pointed out concerns about commercial preservation.

Jeremy Raines
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‟Our comp plan doesn't really follow that, would be commercial... When we start moving stuff away from commercial it rarely comes back to commercial.

Jeremy Raines, Zoning Commissioner, Fort Worth District 7

The site's Future Land Use designation as General Commercial aligns with its current PD-1063 zoning for intensive commercial use. Staff analysis noted that commercial parcels along Altamesa Boulevard measure approximately 260 feet deep, limiting development potential but still providing opportunities for strip centers, restaurants, and convenience stores.

New zoning commissioner Myra Mills Tschirhart (District 6), representing the district where the project is located, demonstrated notable engagement despite this being her first meeting as a commissioner. She asked detailed questions about the developer's differentiation from previous projects: "How are you going to be different?" than the projects that Kwieran was referring to. She probed the traffic study claims, asking whether "remaining commercial and being like a big box store would hurt traffic more than it currently is rather than having these four large apartment buildings?"

Tschirhart also explored the property's current permitted uses, asking "They could build a liquor store here?" and "They could build the other undesirable things that neighborhoods usually complain about here?" Her questioning attempted to balance competing interests. While noting fatigue with lower-quality commercial development in District 6, she recognized the elevator-served buildings as potentially attracting residents who would support better commercial. Ultimately, Tschirhart made the motion to approve.

Myra Mills Tschirhart
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‟As a D6 resident, I'm kind of tired of the commercial we're getting... This is a four-floor with elevator high-end amenity center...What I hear is higher quality apartments that will attract a different level of commercial around it, so I'm leaning toward recommending approval.

Myra Mills Tschirhart, Zoning Commissioner, Fort Worth District 6

The developer's attempts to address concerns included commitments to continue meeting with neighborhood associations, with another meeting already scheduled with Mira Vista. Fambro emphasized Integrated's status as a vertically integrated company managing their own properties, stating "we don't have trash violations" and asserting their developments differ from those causing current problems. He suggested the development could generate impact fees to fund the Bryant Irvin extension to Sycamore School Road, addressing some infrastructure concerns.

Scott Morway with Provident Realty Advisors, responsible for the initial Tavolo Park commercial acquisition, provided context on commercial development progress. He confirmed BJ's Wholesale Club for the southwest corner of Chisholm Trail and Altamesa, with additional retail strips and a bank in development. Morway supported the multifamily proposal.

Scott Morway Provident Realty Advisors
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‟If we put 125,000 square foot box on parcel number 17, traffic is going to be substantially more than if you put a multifamily project there.

Scott Morway, Provident Realty Advisors

The vote revealed clear divisions. Voting for the motion to approve were Commissioners Mills Tschirhart (D6), Pierce (D8), Wurman (D10), and Hoblit (D9). Pierce cited growth pressures:

Tammy Pierce
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‟Fort Worth being the 11th fastest growing city in the United States where they've got like 5,000 people relocating a day, you have to consider where are these people going to live. If you have a multifamily that's high-end with all of the proper amenities, I say move for approval.

Tammy Pierce, Commissioner, Fort Worth District 8

Voting against were Chair McDonnell (D5), Commissioners Welch (D3), McCoy (D4), Raines (D7), Mayo (D1), and Trujillo (D2).

Chair McDonnell emphasized the significance of community opposition. Commissioner Beth Welch cited area density:

Beth Welch, Zoning Commissioner, Fort Worth District 3
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‟This area is pretty dense with a mixture of single family, zero family, and multifamily. I think my my feeling is kind of in line with the staff recommendation of denial and the residents – quite a bit of opposition here."

Beth Welch, Zoning Commissioner, Fort Worth District 3

The failed motion to approve sends this case to City Council with a negative recommendation, though the 6-4 split and Commissioner Tschirhart's support as the district representative suggest potential for a different outcome.

Developer Integrated Real Estate Group, Kenneth Fambro Phone: (817) 837-0565 Email: [email protected]

Owner: Provident Realty Advisors, Julian "Jay" Hawes, Jr Phone: (214) 215-1203 Email: [email protected], Scott Morway Phone: (972) 385-4152 Email: [email protected]

Staff Report: ZC-25-078

Project Plans: ZC-25-078 Plan

Mixed-use
DISTRICT: 6
Wedgwood | 33.08 Acres | Approved

Zoning Commission 5/14/25

R2, PD 655, PD 656, PD 662 → E, PD for R2, PD for C | Approved

The Fort Worth Zoning Commission unanimously approved (9-0) Matrix Equities' request to develop a mixed-use project near Chisolm Trail Parkway on May 14, 2025. The development will transform industrial and commercial-zoned land, owned by the Crowley ISD, into a community featuring single-story rental townhomes, two-story for-sale townhomes, and neighborhood commercial space. The swift seven-minute hearing with no opposition marked a stark contrast to Integrated’s Tavolo Park deal above, despite them being only a mile apart.

Larry Miller of Matrix Equities presented a master-planned community that reflects the company's experience with large-scale mixed-use developments throughout the Southwest, including a recently approved project in Burleson (2152 SW Wilshire –– Location | Staff Report).

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The site strategy divides the 33.08 acres site into three distinct products.

Parcel A (3.029 acres): Designated for "E" Neighborhood Commercial, positioned at the Granbury Road frontage. Larry Miller specified potential tenants.

Larry Miller
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‟A podiatrist, a pediatrician, a dentist and/or a Starbucks and other retail that's needed for community commercial needs.

Larry Miller, Matrix Equities

Parcel B (8.229 acres): Zoned "PD/R2" for two-story townhomes for sale, maintaining the site plan requirement from the previous townhouse cluster designation.

Parcel C (21.823 acres): The largest parcel at 21.823 acres, zoned "PD/CR" for single-story rental townhomes with a development standard modification reducing the minimum open space requirement to 20% from the standard 35% in CR districts.

Miller detailed specific amenities across the development:

  • "Resort type pool area that is associated with the community center and the leasing office"

  • "Barbecues, the fire pits, the typical things you see in a resort style environment"

  • "Trail system, dog park, paw wash"

  • "Parkour equipment throughout the walking trail jogging trail"

  • "Pickle ball court"

Each residential unit will include "two-car garages" and "gas throughout the project so you can cook on a range instead of a electric cooktop," along with "two gigs of internet."

infrastructure

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A critical infrastructure element involves the traffic signal at the site entrance. When Commissioner McCoy asked about timing, Miller responded: "beginning of the project" and clarified:

Larry Miller
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‟I want [the traffic signal] to be active before we open for rent.

Larry Miller, Matrix Equities

The development will feature a gated entrance synchronized with the new signal on Granbury Road, which Miller characterized as "pretty busy to the point where we're putting a signal in at the entrance and it's much needed."

The property backs directly to Chisolm Trail Parkway, with a church serving as an immediate neighbor. Miller noted this configuration provides "regional access while maintaining separation from the parkway through the church buffer."

Miller presented specific demographic data for the rental townhome market: "one-third are Gen Z and millennial, one-third are baby boomers, and one third are empty nesters." This demographic mix informed the product design and amenity selection.

The hearing concluded in approximately seven minutes, with Commissioner Mills making the motion to approve after thanking the applicant "for the thoughtful breaking down of the three tracts."

Developer/Owner: Matrix Equities, Larry Miller Phone: (214) 974-8777 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn

Owner: Crowley Independent School District Email: [email protected] Phone: (817) 297-5800

Representative: Jackson Walker LLP, Tyler Wallach Phone: (817) 334-7203 Email: [email protected]

Staff Report: ZC-25-080

Project Plans: ZC-25-080 Plan

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DISTRICT: 2

North Stockyards Multifamily 2900-3000 N Commerce St

Northside | 9.48 Acres | 296 Units | Approved

Zoning Commission 5/14/25

D, K → PD/D | Approved

Bryan, Texas-based developer Oldham Goodwin secured approval for their ambitious 296-unit project on a 9.48-acre site that had become a community burden—frequently used for illegal dumping and homeless encampments since a warehouse was razed in 2022.

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The deal transforms a challenging infill site near the historic Fort Worth Stockyards into four multifamily buildings with 424 total bedrooms across 296 units. The property's unique topography—sitting 400 feet from N. Main Street with a dramatic 47-foot elevation drop to Tony's Creek—provides natural screening that helped address typical neighborhood concerns about visibility and traffic impact. The site plan shows amenities including a dog park, resort-style pool with cabanas, fitness facilities spanning over 5,000 square feet, and a pickleball court. The unit mix of 204 one-bedrooms, 148 two-bedrooms, and 16 three-bedrooms, combined with features like two-car garages and gas cooking, targets a diverse demographic that Oldham Goodwin data shows splits evenly between Gen Z/millennials, baby boomers, and empty nesters.

Sean Shanklin, representing Kimley-Horn, strategically focused his presentation on the two primary waiver requests that staff had questioned during the working session. The parking reduction from 457 required spaces to 450 provided spaces was justified through a comprehensive analysis showing the site's proximity to public transportation (0.7 miles to the TEXRail station), comparable parking ratios in other Texas cities, and operational data indicating that two- and three-bedroom units typically don't fully utilize allocated parking. The developer's commitment to provide 1.4 spaces per unit actually exceeds requirements in Houston (1.42 per unit), while both San Antonio and Austin have even more flexible parking standards in their urban cores.

The second major waiver addressed the placement of carports and parking between buildings and streets. Shanklin emphasized that the site's significant setbacks and elevation changes would render these elements invisible from main thoroughfares, effectively negating aesthetic concerns typically associated with front-facing parking.

Commissioner Trujillo's swift motion for approval, immediately seconded by Commissioner Welch, reflected the commission's confidence in the proposal. The 11-0 vote (Commissioner Stevenson was absent) sends a clear message to City Council about the type of development the commission wants to encourage: projects that address real community problems while adding housing diversity near transit and employment centers.

Developer/Owner: Oldham Goodwin, Jacob Carmical Phone: (817) 512-2000 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn

Staff Report: ZC-25-050

Project Plans: ZC-25-050 Plan

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