\u201cThis property is adjacent to residential on both sides \u2014\u00a0automotive uses shouldn’t be,\u201d said Eric Wilhite, a nearby resident who led the charge against the shop\u2019s opening. In 2025, city officials mistakenly greenlit Fifth Gear Automotive\u2019s plans to open a shop off Loddick Lane, a residential street between two north Fort Worth neighborhoods, staff told the Report in early March.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wes Hoblit, a consultant speaking on behalf of Fifth Gear, said before the vote that the company \u201cgot off on a wrong foot\u201d with residents because of the complications with the city\u2019s permission. Hoblit reemphasized Fifth Gear\u2019s argument that the shop would work with neighbors by improving the property by planting trees, limiting hours and mitigating noise.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re all in a bad spot,\u201d said Hoblit, a former Fort Worth zoning commissioner who stepped down in 2025. \u201cA lot of zoning cases, there’s a winner, there’s a loser. This one, we feel, we’re in a bad position.\u201d<\/p>\n Fifth Gear, which operates eight locations<\/a> across North Texas, started renovating the warehouse this fall after that initial approval. City staff has since called the mistake \u201can oversight\u201d that stemmed from \u201can issue\u201d with the geographic information systems<\/a> that led to staff providing the wrong information.<\/p>\n After officials admitted the mistake, Fifth Gear sought the formal rezoning process, which ended with Tuesday\u2019s vote of denial.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s revocation of approval \u201chas resulted in significant financial damages to Fifth Gear Automotive,\u201d Bill Bernick, founder and co-owner of the business, said in an email.<\/p>\n Bernick declined to comment \u201cunder the advice of our attorney\u201d on how Fifth Gear might proceed following the City Council\u2019s rejection.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not good use of this land,\u201d Rusty Fuller, president of the North Fort Worth Alliance neighborhood association, said before the vote. \u201cSufficient logical, reasoned opposition to this petition has been presented by the residents.\u201d<\/p>\n While the shop didn\u2019t receive support from zoning commissioners, city staff previously recommended allowing it to open, arguing that the property could appropriately hold a commercial repair shop.\u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking to zoning commissioners on March 11, city planning manager Stephanie Scott-Sims noted that Fifth Gear\u2019s owner does not plan to expand or change the existing warehouse itself.<\/p>\n Bernick, the shop\u2019s co-owner, said before Tuesday\u2019s vote that Fifth Gear \u201caddressed the residents\u2019 concerns regarding traffic, noise, safety and security\u201d during meetings with homeowners.\u00a0<\/p>\n Representatives of the shop previously said repairs would be conducted inside behind closed doors to mitigate noise. They also said they\u2019d offer customers shuttle services to mitigate traffic on the two-way, residential Loddick Lane.<\/p>\n \u201cWe asked: \u2018What else can we do to make you more comfortable with our zoning request?\u2019\u201d Bernick said before the vote. \u201cTheir answer was: \u2018There is nothing you can do, and if you really want to be a good neighbor, leave.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n Before voting to deny the rezoning request, council member Alan Blaylock, who represents the area, said the zoning case has been \u201csuch a challenge\u201d for residents. Blaylock\u2019s seat is on the ballot May 2<\/a> as he steps down to run for a Texas House seat<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Joshua Allison, another nearby resident, emphasized that, regardless of Fifth Gear\u2019s efforts, an auto shop of its size \u2014\u00a0with a planned capacity to serve nearly 100 cars a week \u2014 would interrupt their daily lives.<\/p>\n \u201cI would actually probably go a little bit stronger and say it would be irresponsible to put all the kids in the community right here and the residences at risk with that much traffic and that many vehicles,\u201d Allison said.<\/p>\n The property will continue to hold its same zoning classification, PD-894, which allows for uses such as warehouse, outdoor storage, retail sales and office space \u2014 but not automotive uses.\u00a0<\/p>\n City legal officials at the March 11 zoning commission meeting declined to comment on whether Fort Worth\u2019s rescinding of permission to the auto business opens the city up to litigation.<\/p>\n Wilhite, a city planner of 30 years and official for the city of Gunter, was the first to email Fort Worth staff about the auto shop\u2019s opening after he noticed Fifth Gear moving in. He said his \u201cback and forth\u201d with staff went on for over six weeks before city officials admitted that they had made a mistake and rezoning would be required.<\/p>\n Wilhite pointed out that Fort Worth code<\/a> explicitly bars automotive repair operations in residential neighborhoods<\/a> \u2014 a rule Fifth Gear later asked the city to waive.<\/p>\n \u201cOur persistence, and our drive and our knowledge probably made a difference,\u201d Wilhite said of the residents\u2019 efforts.<\/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
Wilhite attended the 11 a.m. meeting with about 15 other north Fort Worth residents who voiced concern that the shop would hurt their home values and quality of life<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0131-CityCouncilFifthGearIII-MC-02-1024x683.jpg\")
Wes Hoblit, managing director at Masterplan Consultants, listens to residents speak during a City Council meeting on March 31, 2026, at Fort Worth City Hall. Hoblit was representing Fifth Gear Automotive. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Fifth-Gear-1-1024x683.jpg\")
Bill Bernick listens to a north Fort Worth resident decry his company\u2019s move to open a shop among single-family neighborhoods during a City Council public comment meeting on Jan. 6, 2026. (Drew Shaw | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0131-CityCouncilFifthGearIII-MC-03-1024x683.jpg\")
Eric Wilhite, a north Fort Worth resident and official for the city of Gunter, speaks to City Council members at a March 31, 2026, meeting at City Hall. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n