Fort Worth property owner takes another swing at dense housing near downtown
A plan for denser housing in near downtown Fort Worth may have fresh legs if the City Council approves a zoning change this week.
An apartment complex on the northwest corner of Carroll Street and Azalea Avenue, across from the Montgomery Plaza Target in Linwood, failed to gain the super majority needed for council approval in June. The neighborhood turned out in significant opposition to the project, saying Linwood’s narrow streets could not support increased traffic or parking. Critics also said the project lacked outdoor space for future residents.
The owner is now asking to rezone four lots, each with a small house, from single-family to urban residential, which allows for denser housing. The zoning change would bring the properties in line with the surrounding block and matches what residents previously said they wanted. It also matches the city’s long-term plan for the area, which calls for high density housing.
Eva Bonilla, president of the Linwood Neighborhood Association, told the city’s zoning commission last week neighbors are still concerned about the project. The owner, Panther City Holding Co., requested expedited approval and does not have to submit a site plan. Bonilla and three others requested a 30-day extension so developers could provide a plan, arguing that the neighborhood should know what’s coming.
“Secrecy builds distrust and that is where we are right now,” she said.
The commission approved the zoning change unanimously. The council will consider it during its Tuesday morning meeting.
Previously, developers Saigebrook Development and O-SDA Industries pitched Azlea West, an 80-apartment complex with limited amenities. At least 10% of the units would be set aside for households making at or below 30% of the median household income.
The City Council approved a resolution in February supporting the developers’ application for a 9% state housing tax credit for that project along with eight others. In June a different zoning change failed to gain the necessary votes. Councilmen Cary Moon and Jungus Jordan opposed the zoning change, siding with residents concerned about density. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price abstained because technical issues with her video prevented her from hearing most of the discussion. Because of the level of opposition, the zoning change required a super majority approval.
Darin Norman, a consultant for the owner, told the zoning commission the new zoning change would make the lots easier to market and was compatible with the rest of Linwood. The majority of Linwood’s lots are already zoned for denser housing, he said. He cited a the city’s comprehensive plan which indicates nearly half of those surveyed wanted to live a dense, walkable neighborhood like Linwood, but only 8% lives in such an area.
Linwood is a small neighborhood in Fort Worth’s popular Cultural District to the west of downtown. Homes there were heavily damaged by a tornado in 2000, but in the past few years it has seen a boom in residential redevelopment, growing from about 150 housing units to more than 600, according to a neighborhood association assessment. The neighborhood is bound by White Settlement Road to the north, West Seventh Street to the south, Carroll Street to the east and University Drive to the west.
David Dodson, the Linwood Neighborhood Association’s zoning chairman, said many residents were not aware of how fast Linwood would become more dense. Under the urban residential zoning, the four lots, about three quarters of an acre, could hold a total of 45 units where four houses currently sit.
“It’s not about who lives there, but how many live here,” Dodson told the commission.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 12:44 PM.
