Fort Worth council approves renaming of small White Settlement Road segment despite strong local opposition

Fort Worth City Council voted to rename the segment of White Settlement Road between University Drive and North Henderson Street to Westside Drive on Oct. 21, 2025, approving a developer-initiated request tied to the 37-acre Westside Village redevelopment. The vote followed hours of public comment and debate over costs, historical preservation and whether private developers should cover sign and business-transition expenses.

Residents, business owners and neighborhood groups organized against the renaming at multiple public comment sessions, arguing the name is historically significant and that the financial and operational burdens of a rename would fall on long-standing merchants and homeowners. “We must recognize that there are things more important than money,” said James Ray Elliott, a resident who opposed the change. Business owners warned of practical costs and disruptions, from updating vendor records to…