North Fort Worth senior housing project gets zoning approval

Plans to build a senior living apartment in north Fort Worth are moving forward as the Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously Aug. 30 to approve zoning for the project.

Property owner Whitehead-Smith Investments Ltd. is working on the apartment project with California-based developer Amtex Housing. The plan is to build a three-story, 160-unit apartment building named the Harmon Senior Villas at 12801 Harmon Road. Construction is expected to begin in early 2017. The property was previously unzoned but was designated with multifamily residential zoning after the council’s vote.

The project faced opposition from nearby residents who expressed concern that the building’s height would allow those inside the apartment to see into the backyards of the surrounding neighborhoods. The council’s decision requires the developer to plan trees to act as a buffer between the neighborhoods and the apartment.

Councilman Dennis Shingleton, whose district includes the project, said he doesn’t anticipate any issues since the apartment will be occupied by seniors.

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“It’s just giving someone a leg up,” he said. “Doesn’t mean they’re going to be looking into your backyard, looking at your garage, seeing what they can steal. I don’t believe that to be the case.”

Last week, the city council approved the annexation of about nine acres of vacant land west of Interstate 35W at Harmon Road and Golden Heights Road to make way for the project.