The cities of Fort Worth and Aledo have sued Willow Park for alleged unlawful annexation of property.
Amanda McCoy
amccoy@star-telegram.com
Fort Worth and Aledo have accused Willow Park of doubling down on its alleged unlawful annexation of territory by claiming disputed land in its latest city limits map.
In February, Fort Worth and Aledo sued Willow Park in the 43rd District Court in Parker County, accusing the neighboring city of breaking the law and violating sovereign boundaries when it annexed 321 acres near Interstate 20 and FM 1187, and then annexed portions of the Bankhead Highway right-of-way just to the south.
The plaintiffs say the 321-acre annexation was illegal because the land wasn’t contiguous to Willow Park’s boundaries, and the subsequent Bankhead Highway annexation was unlawful because that land falls within Fort Worth’s and Aledo’s extraterritorial jurisdictions, or ETJs.
In January, Willow Park had a new map drawn up that showed the disputed territory in its city boundaries. The map was approved by the Willow Park City Council in February — a day after the lawsuit was filed.
In a new court filing, Fort Worth and Aledo said the map “shows that Willow Park has willfully doubled down on its illegal annexation of territory in other municipalities’ jurisdictions.”
Spokespeople for Fort Worth and Willow Park have declined to comment, citing the litigation. An Aledo spokesperson previously shared a statement with the Star-Telegram that said the city filed the lawsuit to protect its rightful boundaries.
“It’s unfortunate that it has come to litigation, but Willow Park refuses to respect other cities’ municipal boundaries,” the statement read.
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A high-stakes lawsuit for Willow Park
The 321 acres that Willow Park annexed initially is owned by developer Robert Beall and is slated for a $500 million mixed-use development. Last year, the Weatherford News reported Willow Park’s sales tax revenue would “roughly double” once the development is complete.
In court filings, Fort Worth and Aledo acknowledge the property’s value, saying it will “ultimately bring significant new sources of revenue to Willow Park.”
The Beall property was at one time in Fort Worth’s ETJ, but Beall petitioned the city to relinquish it. The land was absorbed by Willow Park at Beall’s request. Beall told WFAA last year it was because he could more quickly extend his property’s infrastructure to connect with Willow Park’s.
Fort Worth and Aledo are asking the court to void Willow Park’s annexations of the Beall property and the Bankhead Highway right-of-way, as well as void Willow Park’s new city limits map.
Additionally, the plaintiffs want a temporary restraining order prohibiting any further development or infrastructure improvements in the disputed areas while the case is pending. Fort Worth and Aledo have also asked for a permanent injunction to keep Willow Park from annexing land belonging to other cities in the future.
“For this extraordinary infringement on the sovereign borders of other municipalities, Fort Worth and Aledo seek a declaration that the annexations at issue were unlawful and void ab initio, thereby rendering void all actions taken by Willow Park in relation to the unlawful annexations,” the plaintiffs’ petition reads.
Willow Park found itself in a similar situation 10 years ago when it annexed 82 acres that was in Weatherford’s ETJ. Weatherford sued, and the two cities reached a settlement in 2017 under which Willow Park had to give up the disputed land. Willow Park also had to agree that any future annexations would be done “in full accordance with all laws.”
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Matt Adams is a news reporter covering Fort Worth, Tarrant County and surrounding areas. He previously wrote about aviation and travel and enjoys a good weekend road trip. Matt joined the Star-Telegram in January 2025.