Fort Worth housing project approved over neighbor dissent. What about the trees?
After hearing opposition from neighbors, the Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve an 84-acre housing development in southeast Fort Worth.
Pecan Meadows, developed by Lennar Homes, will develop around 330 single family homes in the area of 3601 Shelby Road.
Siblings Cindy Russell and Mark Jones, who along with their parents have owned the land for 40 years, spoke in support of a zoning change from multifamily to single family homes. The approved change will allow the development to go forward, despite concerns from neighbors about impacts to their community.
Neighbor Natasha Canelos, who spoke Tuesday and at the Aug. 24 council meeting, said she was concerned about the development’s impacts on her pecan trees. She said at Tuesday’s meeting she had more questions than answers and asked the council to delay the project to get more clarity from the developer.
Jim Garrison, another neighbor, voiced his concerns about increased traffic, saying he already has to contend with motorists going 60 mph down a two-lane road with a 30 mph speed limit.
Christopher Tysdal, an acquisitions manager with Lennar Homes, told the council Tuesday the developer had tried to accommodate community concerns by adding buffers at various points between the property line and the back of the housing lots. This was to address concerns about privacy brought up at the Aug. 24 meeting.
Canelos argued that the 10-foot buffer between her property line and the back of the new housing lots would not be enough to protect the pecan trees currently in place.
However, District 8 Councilmember Chris Nettles, whose district would house the new development, assured Canelos that city ordinances require the developer to leave some existing trees in place.
Tysdal noted Fort Worth needs properties like Pecan Meadows, pointing to the need for workforce housing as the city expands. Mayor Mattie Parker acknowledged the city needs more affordable housing, but stressed that new housing should enjoy the area’s natural beauty.
Parker referenced an earlier discussion in the Tuesday work session where several members of the council talked about the need to protect the trees in the Cross Timbers ecosystem.
She pledged to work with Lennar Homes to develop the site in a way that protects that ecosystem.
“Your mayor is watching,” Parker assured meeting attendants.
This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 5:30 AM.
.jpg)