Fort Worth City Council members approved annexing 61 acres and a related zoning case for multifamily housing along the city’s border with Burleson despite opposition from nearby residents concerned about traffic and flooding.
By annexing the property, the city can issue building permits to ensure structures are up to city code since Tarrant County does not issue such permits, Fort Worth officials said.
Both cases were considered by the council Oct. 21 because of a December 2021 pre-development agreement between the city and developer Pulte Homes of Texas.
Site work is underway for the Parks of Village Creek project, which will be near the intersection of FM 1187/Rendon Crowley Road and Redbird Lane, about 3 miles east of Interstate 35W. Fort Worth will provide city, sewer and emergency services under the annexation.
Pulte plans to build nearly 200 homes at the site, which totals 100 acres and includes green space and a 100-year floodplain, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency said has a 26% chance of flooding within 30 years.
Council members approved a request to change the unzoned land in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to allow for medium-density multifamily housing. Fort Worth zoning commissioners had recommended approval of zoning for single-family homes.
Susan Schaumburg, a resident of Redbird Lane, said Pulte Homes representatives have not met with residents about the project, although both Mayor Mattie Parker and council member Chris Nettles, who represents the area, later said they would work to set up a meeting so residents can learn more about the development.
“The city of Fort Worth has put us in danger, which we have stated to everyone involved in this development,” Schaumburg told the council. “The development will impede emergency vehicles, create significant concerns about flooding and will add dangerous amounts of traffic to FM 1187.”
FM 1187 is a narrow but busy road with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour. The road is hilly in parts, which can impede views of oncoming traffic, she added. Additionally, Redbird Lane is an 18-foot rural road that can’t accommodate more vehicles, especially construction equipment, she said.
Lori Martin, a resident of nearby Mockingbird Lane, said the neighborhood’s rural streets are not built for additional traffic.
“While the development may bring economic opportunities, it cannot come at the cost of health and safety,” she said.
Darren Plowman, another resident of Redbird Lane, urged council members to oppose the project since it would outpace the neighborhood’s current roads. Adding more housing would increase congestion as well as create traffic delays and safety risks, he said.
A Texas Department of Transportation study will be conducted to address road needs since a 2022 study is already outdated, officials and residents said.
A photo displayed to the Fort Worth City Council shows traffic congestion and flooding along FM 1187/Rendon Crowley Road. (Screenshot | Fort Worth Report)
A Pulte Homes representative confirmed to council members that the development team has not met with residents.
Parker urged the company representative to do so. The city wants to avoid infrastructure issues and traffic congestion that result from the massive growth in other sprawling areas, such as the Bonds Ranch Road corridor, she said.
“That should be the bare minimum,” she said.
Fort Worth’s fire and EMS service to the subdivision would be dispatched from Station 42 at 450 E. Rendon Crowley. The goal is to reach the scene of emergencies at the development within five minutes 75% of the time. Fire department officials noted in a city report that it will be unlikely to meet that response time goal for the community as planned now.
The city estimates that the development will generate more than $36 million in tax revenue within 40 years with city costs estimated at more than $30 million, according to a staff report.
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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