It’s simple, really, as Fort Worth grows, so does the need for more housing. With that in mind, it was a busy night on Sept. 11 for the Fort Worth City Council as they addressed several agenda items connected with housing growth in the area.
In a recent population tally, Fort Worth, with 874,168 residents, is ranked 15th in the nation. The area is nipping at the heels of Columbus, Ohio (879,170), San Franciso (884,363), and Jacksonville, Florida (892, 062).
“You think of 100 people a day are moving to Fort Worth, and these are needed, more single-family homes,” said District 6 Councilman Jungus Jordan.
WESTPOINTE IN THE SOUTH
The city council, at its Tuesday meeting, cleared the way for Westpointe, a single-family subdivision with a large retail corner at Bailey Boswell Road. The rezoning request, from Boaz Holdings, LP, was for the 5600-5700 and 9400-9900 blocks of Park Drive.
“It’s not a bad layout. It’s a little higher density than I’d like,” District 7 Councilman Dennis Shingleton said. “It’s got some un-annexed areas above it that are large properties. We need a buffer there.
“It’s going to take several years to build this out. It’s part of that sprawling growth we can’t stop.”
The property is located north of West Bailey Boswell, south of Park Drive, and east of Boat Club Road. The area is primarily comprised of vacant land and an active gas well. The applicant is proposing 19 lots on the northern edge for one acre lots, 417 lots for one-family, and approximately 29 acres for commercial and mini warehouse development.
The majority of the property will be completing the annexation process through an owner-initiated annexation of approximately 137 acres. A few acres of the development are currently in the city limits and zoned agricultural.
HAPPY TRAILS COMING TO HULEN
What was once farmland will soon be filled with houses, make that more houses, in the South Hulen area.
The city council approved a zoning change at the sites of 1450, 10301, and 10601 W. Cleburne Crowley Rd., along with 10700 Old Cleburne Rd. The change, an owner-initiated annexation by Crowley 272 Joint Venture, will allow for one-family and neighborhood commercial use.
The property, approximately 281 acres, is located west of Cleburne Crowley Road and south of Old Cleburne Road. The area is primarily comprised of rural single-family lots and vacant lots. The rezoning will prepare the property for development of a single-family subdivision known as Hulen Trails with around 1,061 lots.
“The owner is wanting to come into the city for development, and it’s more fitting for what they want to do. And I’m sure it’s going to draw more people to our city,” District 6 Councilman Jungus Jordan said.
Jordan also told the council, “The owner thinks Fort Worth is the greatest city on earth and wants to be a part of it.”
Jordan noted that the property has previously been farmland. It is near the Crowley School District, and not far from the Tarleton State University campus in that area, along with being near the popular Chisholm Trail Parkway.
“The owner decided it’s more advantageous to be in the city, and it actually helps us because that piece of property has been what we call a doughnut hole,” Jordan said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
LITTLE HOUSES IN THE COWTOWN
Not all big construction projects involve big buildings.
Among the home projects approved by the city council was a zoning request by McKelvey-Cole, LP for a detached multi-family/cottage community over a site of about 20 acres in the 1100-1200 blocks of Highway 114.
The property is located on the southern side of Highway 114, east of the BNSF railroad. The cottage community will include multiple individual, separate structures. This is considered multifamily because all of the homes are located on one lot, the units share
community space, and there is a leasing office on site.
“It’s kind of a new concept, upscale high-quality rental houses,” District 7 Councilman Dennis Shingleton said. “I’ve seen pictures of it. There’s one in Dallas. They’re individually housed with separate buildings, but there’s basically zero lot lines.”
The proposed development consists of 227 detached dwelling units, each with a back yard. There is a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with two-bedroom units making up 41 percent of the unit count.
Some garages and carports may be provided, but otherwise all parking is in lots accessed through private driveways internal to the development.
“They’re good for a young family, or someone older who wants to near their kids or family,” Shingleton said. “They’re not big homes, but they’re very nice.”