Fort Worth and Aledo have come to terms with Willow Park over an alleged land grab, with valuable property at the center of the disagreement.
Things turned sour between neighbors in February 2025 when the city of Willow Park annexed 321 acres near Interstate 20 and FM 1187 west of Fort Worth. Willow Park subsequently annexed additional land along the Bankhead Highway to the south of the 321-acre parcel.
In February, the cities of Fort Worth and Aledo joined together to sue Willow Park in Parker County, saying the initial annexation was unlawful since the land wasn’t contiguous to Willow Park’s boundaries. In court filings, the two plaintiffs further alleged that the land bordering the Bankhead Highway fell within Aledo’s and Fort Worth’s extraterritorial jurisdictions, or ETJs, so Willow Park had no right to claim it.
On Oct. 27, Fort Worth and Aledo issued a joint statement saying an agreement had been reached in that lawsuit.
“The cities of Willow Park, Aledo and Fort Worth are pleased to announce resolution of all claims involving boundary disputes between the cities,” the statement said. “Final boundaries between Willow Park, Aledo and Fort Worth have been agreed upon and the lawsuit between the cities has been resolved. The cities look forward to a mutually cooperative relationship in the future.”
The full terms of the settlement weren’t immediately available, but an agenda item for Tuesday’s Fort Worth City Council meeting said Fort Worth will release portions of its ETJ and that Willow Park will pay the city $500,000.
Beall Development, the company that owns the disputed land, will pay Fort Worth another $500,000, according to the City Council agenda. Beall had also intervened as a party in the lawsuit between the cities.
An Aledo spokesperson said she couldn’t provide details on the settlement until it has been approved by all involved parties. This story will be updated when the agreement is released.
The 321 acres of annexed land owned by Beall is earmarked as part of a $500 million mixed-use project that will include single- and multifamily residential, commercial and light industrial development. According to a Weatherford News report, the development would “roughly double” Willow Park’s sales tax income.
Logan Beall, a spokesperson for Beall Development, issued a statement Tuesday saying the company was happy about the lawsuit’s resolution.
“We are satisfied with the outcome and believe this agreement represents a positive result for all parties involved,” the statement said. “We believe it was important for the cities to find common ground and work together for the benefit of the communities, property owners and businesses that will shape the future of this important corridor. We are glad to have been able to help.”
The statement said development work could continue on the property once the court proceedings have concluded.