Just over 40 acres of partly developed land in Fort Worth will be rezoned following an Oct. 15 City Council vote.
In what will shape any future development near Keller ISD’s Basswood Elementary, council members voted unanimously, with council member Elizabeth Beck absent, for a rezoning of 40.3 acres near the school from light industrial to a mix of intensive commercial and community facilities.
The rezoning, which has been in the works since early August, would align the area’s zoning with its current and planned uses, officials said. The changes could bring in more community-oriented businesses, like restaurants, while also paving the way for future educational and public spaces, according to the proposal backed by council member Charles Lauersdorf.
The rezoning was largely motivated by concerns from the Basswood Elementary community regarding the proposed construction of a Studio 6 motel adjacent to the school. Though Keller ISD eventually bought the land for $3.2 million, parents were concerned about the motel potentially attracting crime.
“We can go ahead and protect our schools,” Lauersdorf previously told the Fort Worth Report.
How does council-initiated zoning work?
Council-initiated zoning is a process where a council member puts forward a rezoning proposal for a vote to the City Council. If approved, the proposal then goes to the Zoning Commission. Once the commission has made a recommendation to approve or deny the rezoning, it comes back for a final vote at City Council. Lauersdorf isn’t the only council member to use council-initiated rezoning to improve a neighborhood; council members Elizabeth Beck and Jeanette Martinez have also used the process to rezone properties.
Changes will address those concerns by replacing industrial zoning with intensive commercial and community facilities, ensuring future developments are more compatible with the school and surrounding neighborhoods.
The new zoning will also help protect the community while encouraging thoughtful growth, Lauersdorf said.
“Parents of students at Basswood Elementary, as well as faculty, can rest easy knowing they’ll have greater say in what happens next in their neighborhood,” he said.
Two meetings were held in early August to gather feedback from property owners and surrounding neighborhoods. There has been no opposition to the rezoning thus far, according to city staff, and the effort received unanimous approval from zoning commissioners in September.
Several businesses, including gas stations, restaurants like Jack in the Box and Sonic, and service providers such as National Tire & Battery and Caliber Car Wash, fall within the rezoning area. These businesses will continue to operate under the new zoning classifications without any disruption.
The rezoning is also consistent with Fort Worth’s comprehensive plan, which envisions the area as part of a mixed-use growth center. The updated zoning will allow for more pedestrian-friendly, community-oriented developments while preserving the area’s character and infrastructure, according to the proposal.
In particular, 10.6 acres of the rezoned land will be dedicated to community facilities, including potential expansions to Basswood Elementary or the development of additional public spaces.
The area rezoned is generally bounded by North Freeway to the west, Basswood Boulevard to the north, Sandshell Boulevard to the east and Corrine Drive to the south.
The city’s next step will be the approval of an ordinance amendment which would require any hotel developer in the city to go through the planned development process if the site is within 1,000 feet of a school, Lauersdorf told the Report. The new process would include buy-in from parents, faculty and neighbors, he said.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @MatthewSgroi1.
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