{"id":287916,"date":"2025-10-09T00:58:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T00:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/287916\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T00:58:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T00:58:12","slug":"fort-worth-rezoning-of-386-acres-aims-to-stop-stealth-dorms-near-tcu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/287916\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Worth rezoning of 386 acres aims to stop \u2018stealth dorms\u2019 near TCU"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preventing \u201cstealth dorms\u201d and ensuring new developments are compatible with residential neighborhoods on the city\u2019s south side is the goal of a Fort Worth plan to rezone more than 386 acres, officials said.<\/p>\n

The zoning request \u2014 initiated by City Council members Elizabeth Beck and Jeanette Martinez \u2014 will affect several neighborhoods in their districts. The area is generally bounded by Berry Street, BNSF railroad line, Biddison Street, Hemphill Street, Seminary Drive, Lubbock Avenue, Pafford Street, McCart Avenue and Cleburne Road.<\/p>\n

Most zoning for that area, dating back to 1940, would allow for multifamily housing and some limited commercial uses.<\/p>\n

The proposed zoning is intended to preserve \u201cthe character of suburban residential neighborhoods\u201d while encouraging new developments to complement existing homes and buildings in scale and with similar architectural elements, city staffers wrote.<\/p>\n

Cristina Plascencia Snoke, a Rosemont Neighborhood Association member who was raised in the community, told commissioners that she supported the change because it would enable other families to live and thrive in the close-knit area.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something so meaningful to me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Infill development would be encouraged to be compatible with nearby neighborhoods, according to the proposed changes. The zoning changes would align with the city\u2019s comprehensive plan, according to a city staff report.<\/p>\n

The plan \u2014 discussed by the Fort Worth Zoning Commission at an Oct. 8 meeting \u2014 would eliminate high-density multifamily developments in the area and add conditional use permits for some businesses, such as auto repair shops, screen printers, and window and door manufacturers. Projects already in the zoning process, such as duplexes, would be grandfathered.<\/p>\n

The commission is expected to vote on the matter next month.<\/p>\n

Dense housing concerns<\/p>\n

Concerns about high-density housing \u2014 sometimes called stealth dorms \u2014 near Texas Christian University prompted the zoning change.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The proposal includes a portion of the Rosemont area that is in the Berry\/University Urban Village. That district has a set of development standards to promote mixed-use, walkable areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of high-density (housing) going up in the community,\u201d Plascencia Snoke said, alluding to stealth dorms on the outskirts of Rosemont.<\/p>\n

In 2023, a vacant lot on Stanley Avenue was transformed<\/a> when two two-story triplexes, totaling six units, were built next to single-family homes.<\/p>\n

\"\"A map shows the area to be rezoned to protect south Fort Worth neighborhoods from dense housing projects. (Courtesy image | City of Fort Worth)<\/p>\n

\u201cI do remember seeing what happened in the Paschal neighborhood with the stealth dorms,\u201d Calvin Huezo, president of the Rosemont Neighborhood Association and a Paschal High School graduate, previously told the Fort Worth Report. \u201cI remember that those were houses, and now they\u2019re stealth dorms. I thought it was going to be only that area that they were developing like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plascencia Snoke said she oversaw the Rosemont neighborhood\u2019s efforts over the summer to rezone nearby areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said preserving the character of Rosemont is important to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel very emotional about my community,\u201d Plascencia Snoke said.<\/p>\n

Continuing case<\/p>\n

Rosemont is filled with single-family homes, duplexes and small commercial sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Arthur McCoy Jr., a former City Council candidate, told commissioners he opposed the proposal because he wants to build a duplex on vacant property his grandfather purchased in 1980.<\/p>\n

\u201cFort Worth already has a housing shortage,\u201d he said, adding that the rezoning would hinder his project and cost him money since he already developed plans and is prepared to begin site work.<\/p>\n

Zoning officials told McCoy the proposal would be \u201crenoticed\u201d and considered for a vote at the panel\u2019s November meeting since it did not include conditional use permits for duplex buildings. McCoy\u2019s project would be grandfathered in \u2014 locking in his developmental rights \u2014 since it already met zoning requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The rezoning request is compatible with surrounding land uses to create compatible zoning districts within the neighborhood, city staffers wrote in their report.<\/p>\n

Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n

Republish This Story<\/p>\n

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