In a unanimous vote Tuesday evening, Fort Worth City Council approved the transformational rezoning of the former 150-acre Woodhaven golf course and country club in East Fort Worth.
“We are extremely proud to have passed this milestone. This wouldn’t have been possible without overwhelming community support,” said Will Northern, founder and president of Crescendo Development.
After closing in 2020, the golf course and clubhouse remained vacant and derelict until being bought in a foreclosure auction in May 2024. Since then, Crescendo Development has held multiple community-wide meetings and dozens of meetings with neighborhood associations, economic development groups, and other local leaders. Hundreds of Woodhaven and East Side residents and property owners provided input.
This extensive community engagement shaped Northern’s plans for the property. Recurrent requests included open green space, mixed-use developments, sit-down restaurants, preservation of old-growth trees, retail amenities—and a return of golf. Northern incorporated all these into his plans.
“Every step of the way, zoning changes were requested to protect the existing single-family homes,” explained Northern. “From limiting heights of new developments, adding green space buffers, prohibiting certain uses, and not connecting Oakmont Lane North to Randol Mill Road, this process has been defined by collaboration with the neighborhood. These plans preserve what makes Woodhaven unique while providing a much-needed catalyst for economic development and revitalization.”
The new zoning will allow a par three, 18-hole golf course on the east side of the property. Northern is in discussions with KemperSports, a national golf operator, to make this innovative concept a reality. If golf does not happen, the area will be developed as large estate lots for upscale single-family homes to preserve much of the existing green space.
The west side of the property will be a combination of mixed-use, urban residential, and agricultural uses. These areas will introduce the commercial amenities requested by the neighborhood and add new, upscale “missing middle” housing desperately needed in East Fort Worth. The form-based codes require extensive green space, preserving the incredible tree canopy that makes Woodhaven unique.
“I am more than excited,” said Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens before she and her peers unanimously voted for the zoning changes. “I don’t care about the outcome; I care about the process.” She complimented Northern for his extensive outreach and “willingness to listen.”
As a land developer, Northern’s role is to guide the property through the entitlement process by handling zoning, platting, and other bureaucratic hurdles. These zoning restrictions establish “guardrails” that stay with the land even after being sold. This protects the neighborhood by guiding what a vertical developer can ultimately build.
“I appreciate the outpouring of grassroots community support,” said Northern. “Introducing a blend of urban zoning categories alongside plenty of open space will reinvigorate not just Woodhaven, but all of East Fort Worth. What a case study for an urban infill project!”
