Fort Worth City Council devoted more than $20 million for wastewater infrastructure improvements in the city\u2019s far north on March 10, priming the fast-growing sector for continued development.<\/p>\n
The projects include expanding sewer mains in the Alliance area and building new water infrastructure along the Bonds Ranch corridor. They were on the council\u2019s consent agenda and passed with no dissent or public discussion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Fort Worth faces rapid growth \u2014 surpassing the state and national average and eyeing a top 10 spot among the country\u2019s largest cities \u2014 the once-sprawling ranchland north of Loop 820 has steadily been leveled to make room for neighborhoods<\/a>, grocery stores<\/a>, a film studio<\/a> and schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n About 220,000 people live in that far north area, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. City officials have routinely entered<\/a> into agreements with developers to build in Fort Worth\u2019s extraterritorial jurisdiction in recent years.<\/p>\n These agreements require those developers to install water infrastructure to serve the expanding needs, said Mary Gugliuzza, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth water department. Developers also must pay impact fees associated with the costs of regional infrastructure, Gugliuzza said.<\/p>\n However, the city foots part of the bill when it asks a developer to expand infrastructure to serve future growth beyond their projects, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n On March 10, City Council members approved up to about $6.65 million to help build out Alpha Ranch<\/a>. Fort Worth will pay 66.2% of the costs to install sewer pipes larger than required for the project while the developer<\/a> will pay 33.8%.<\/p>\n Farmers Branch-based Centurion American Development Group is planning for about 4,000 homes in the area, which lies nearly 26 miles from downtown Fort Worth off of State Highway 144.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is less expensive to initially install lines at sizes projected to meet future growth than to go back later and replace the lines with larger ones,\u201d Gugliuzza said.<\/p>\n Another nearly $13 million will fund the first part of a planned wastewater infrastructure project on the Bonds Ranch corridor. The city will build a lift station<\/a> \u2014 which effectively pumps wastewater to higher elevations or distant sewer mains \u2014 with a capacity of 3 million gallons a day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those dollars will pay for gravity mains, which use slopes to naturally flow wastewater through areas, as well as force mains, which use pumps to transport wastewater uphill or across flat terrain.<\/p>\n The wastewater projects will serve the area that drains towards Eagle Mountain Lake, Gugliuzza said.<\/p>\n Bonds Ranch Road is the subject of a $200 million, intergovernmental effort to address traffic<\/a> along the two-lane, formerly rural road.\u00a0<\/p>\n The past 15 years have seen thousands of homes<\/a> built in the area. The pipeline for one wastewater project will be built along the road, which is now the main connecting route for residents who commute daily to Highway 287.\u00a0<\/p>\n Efforts to expand Bonds Ranch Road into four lanes with sidewalks are running up against water mains along the corridor, according to city documents<\/a>. Meanwhile, the ongoing road construction and routine, hourlong traffic jams have been enough to force some residents to move<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fort Worth approved about $650,000 to relocate some water mains along Bonds Ranch Road between Willow Springs Road and Highway 287, as well as $310,000 for project logistics and management.<\/p>\n Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org<\/a>or @shawlings601<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n