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City council approves Woodhaven redevelopment zoning with design and height limits; developers pledge extensive community outreach
Summary
The Fort Worth City Council approved ZC-24-147 on Tuesday, a rezoning that allows mixed-use and reduced-density residential redevelopment of the former Woodhaven Country Club site under conditions limiting height and certain land uses near existing single-family lots.
The Fort Worth City Council voted to approve zoning case ZC-24-147 on Tuesday, clearing the way for a mixed-use redevelopment of the former Woodhaven Country Club property under a plan from Crescendo Development and affiliated partners.
The approved rezoning converts portions of the 50-acre site to low-intensity mixed-use (MU-1), urban residential (UR) and down-zoned single-family areas (A-21), subject to plan-development conditions. Council action included specific exclusions and development standards intended to limit impacts on adjacent single-family neighborhoods, including caps on building heights within set buffers and requirements for open space or urban agriculture when development is within 200 feet of one-family lots.
Nut graf: The vote capped a months-long outreach campaign between the developer and neighborhood groups that produced both substantial support and vocal opposition. Supporters urged reinvestment and new amenities for East Fort Worth; opponents warned that the proposal relies on multifamily apartments and retail that may not be sustainable in the local market.
Developer Will Northern and Place Strategies representative Brad Longberger described a multi-phase plan that emphasizes walkable mixed-use nodes, protection of existing trees, urban-agriculture features and a restored clubhouse eligible for historic tax credits. The developer presented outreach metrics including about 280 in-person attendees to public events and a petition with nearly 99 listed supporters.
Neighborhood supporters — including leaders from the Woodhaven Neighborhood Association (WNA) and Woodhaven Community Development Inc. — said the proposal would spur reinvestment, add trails, increase green space and attract market-rate housing not currently available in the area. Woodhaven Neighborhood Association officers reported a WNA membership vote of 47 in favor and 8 opposed at a recent meeting.
Opponents raised concerns about the quantity of proposed multifamily housing and the economic viability of dedicated retail space. Erica Geisel Graham, who identified herself as a resident, cited U.S. Census figures and said the neighborhood median household income is about $53,000 (2022) and that 92% of Woodhaven residents are renters; she argued that a retail-heavy plan risks failure without nearby customer bases.
Council action included the motion and detailed, council-approved amendments that exclude several specified uses (for example certain industrial uses, gas drilling/production or bulk recycling operations), limit building heights in sensitive areas to two or three stories depending on proximity, require site plans for portions adjacent to single-family lots, and allow open space or urban agriculture adjacent to one-family lots.
The council recorded one abstention: Council Member McCrane stated an ownership conflict and abstained from the vote. The final vote was recorded as carried by the council.
Ending: Council members and community leaders stressed ongoing oversight and additional public engagement during the planning and implementation stages; staff will circulate required site plans and development standards before building permits are approved.
