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Commissioners reject driveway‑spacing variance for subdivision spanning Tarrant County boundary
Summary
The court denied a request to permit 24‑foot driveway spacing in a proposed subdivision that straddles Johnson and Tarrant counties after commissioners raised safety concerns about fire apparatus access, drainage and on‑street parking. The denial was unanimous.
During its Oct. 27 meeting the Johnson County Commissioners Court unanimously denied a developer’s request to reduce minimum driveway spacing to 24 feet (from the county standard of 45 feet) for parcels that are partly in Fort Worth’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The property note indicated portions currently sit in both Tarrant and Johnson counties.
Development staff said the applicant may pursue removal from Fort Worth’s ETJ and present plats to Johnson County, but several commissioners said they could not support a variance that risked emergency access or created narrow travel widths that would impede fire and service vehicles. The county’s fire marshal and commissioners noted that even a 24‑ to 32‑foot spacing leaves limited room for modern pickup trucks, and they emphasized the need to see drainage and final civil plans before considering such an exception.
The applicant’s representative said roads within the subdivision would be privately maintained and that the paving section would be larger than typical county construction. Commissioners repeatedly cited the need for engineering plans and clear drainage strategies before any variance could be supported.
Action recorded - Motion to deny driveway‑spacing variance (A7) — moved by Commissioner Howe, second by Commissioner Woolley; carried unanimously.
Who spoke: Jennifer Vanderlyn, Development Services director; Marshall Moore, fire marshal; developer representatives (Westwood/TCCI); Commissioners Howell, Woolley, Bailey and others.
Context: The parcels are adjacent to FM 1902 and Floyd Hampton Road near Crowley and are partly inside Fort Worth’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. Several commissioners said the county could revisit a variance after the developer submits complete civil and drainage plans and after any change in jurisdictional boundary.
Next steps: Court requested that the developer present civil plans and consider a one‑year variance expiration if a Johnson County plat is not filed.
