Fort Worth alleges neighboring city illegally annexed property for development
Fort Worth is expected to join Aledo in a lawsuit alleging the city of Willow Park violated the law when it annexed property near where the three cities meet.
On Jan. 27, the City Council voted to add Fort Worth as a plaintiff in the planned lawsuit. Documents provided to council members said Willow Park didn’t comply with annexation laws when it extended its extraterritorial jurisdiction borders east from the intersection of Nu Energy Drive and East Bankhead Highway to FM 1187 last year.
A spokesperson for Willow Park said the city attorney’s office would hold off on making a comment until they had a chance to review the Fort Worth resolution. An Aledo spokesperson did not respond to an email request for comment.
In February 2025, Willow Park annexed more than 300 acres of land that was formerly part of Dean Ranch, including the disputed area. According to a report in the Weatherford News, Fort Worth “relinquished the property from its extraterritorial jurisdiction because they could not provide utilities to the area, whereas Willow Park could.”
A Fort Worth spokesperson said the city released a portion of the annexed property from its ETJ at the request of the property owner. Texas Senate Bill 2038, which passed in 2023, allows property owners in ETJs with populations less than 200 to make such a request.
The Fort Worth spokesperson said the city can provide utilities to the annexed property, but it would have required the property owner to “extend the necessary infrastructure.”
Fort Worth cannot reabsorb the property into its ETJ without the consent of the property owner, and the spokesperson said the city is not seeking compensation from Willow Park. When asked what the city hopes to accomplish the lawsuit, the spokesperson declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
City Council documents said the disputed portion of the property falls completely outside Willow Park’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The northern portion is in Fort Worth’s ETJ and the southern portion is in Aledo’s, according to the documents.
Beall Development is reportedly planning a mixed-use development in the annexed area that will consist of single-family and multifamily residential units as well as commercial and industrial properties. The Weatherford News reported the $500 million development would “roughly double the city’s current sales tax collection.”
A message left with Beall Development was not returned.
As of this report, there is no record of a lawsuit being filed against Willow Park in either Parker or Tarrant County.
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 5:57 PM.