Proposed apartments for Samuels Avenue, opposed by neighbors, up for approval again
A proposed 27-unit apartment complex opposed by neighbors on Samuels Avenue is going back in front of the Fort Worth City Council.
The council on Tuesday will consider whether to approve a zoning change for the project at 521 Samuels Ave., just north of downtown. The project has been delayed by a lawsuit filed by a nearby condominium association.
Fort Worth based developer Brewer & Hale LLC proposed to build four stories of apartments with an amenity deck, fire pit, planters and dining areas, according to city documents. The land’s original zoning allowed for only eight units on the 0.28-acre parcel, so the company applied for rezoning in November 2021.
The council approved it, but District 9 council member Elizabeth Beck criticized the developer for not reaching out to her office before the meeting. Beck wasn’t the only one left out of the loop, according to court documents.
Members of the Villa De Leon Condominium Association sued the city in June, arguing it had violated Texas law by not notifying individual condo owners of the proposed zoning change. The Villa De Leon building is just south of the site.
The city initially denied the allegations but admitted in a follow up filing it had failed to notify all affected property owners about the zoning change.
A Tarrant County court granted a temporary injunction, which reversed the plot to the previous zoning pending a hearing on Jan. 8, 2024.
The sticking point is the amount of parking on the site. Members of the condo association have a problem with the building having only 21 parking spots for 27 apartments.
Some of the residents may not have cars and should be able to live in the area without needing one, Brewer & Hale co-owner Taylor Hale argued at the Aug. 9 zoning commission meeting. Still, the developer offered to build a 17-space parking lot at 519 N. Nichols St., about a quarter mile from the proposed complex.
The additional parking didn’t seem to sway condo association member David Balunda.
“If you guys want to grab your groceries and walk 12-blocks to get to your apartment, lots of luck,” Balunda said at the hearing.
Adding more parking to the building itself would be cost prohibitive, Hale told the zoning commission.
The council will vote on the rezoning at its 10 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 22.
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