Fort Worth Urban Design Commission Meeting – February 19, 2026

The Urban Design Commission (UDC) met on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at approximately 10:45 AM to consider several development requests including certificate of appropriateness waivers, alley vacations, and a recommendation to the Board of Adjustment. The meeting began with announcements honoring outgoing Near Southside Inc. president Mike Brennan and introducing incoming president Megan Henderson. The commission approved minutes from the January meeting, then heard and voted on six cases. All voting was unanimous (10-0) except for one case (9-0 with one recusal).

Announcements

• Staff announced the leadership transition at Near Southside Inc.: Mike Brennan is moving to Trinity Metro after 20 years with the organization (7 years with the City of Fort Worth and 13 years with Near Southside Inc.). Megan Henderson, who has worked with Brennan for 13 years, will become the new president. Both spoke, with Henderson emphasizing the continued partnership with the UDC.
• The commission also noted a minor language update to agenda request forms to align with the language used in certificates of appropriateness (COAs), effective this month.

Consent Calendar

• The meeting minutes from January 2026 were approved by a 10-0 vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lake Como neighborhood: Sandra Stanley, president of the Lake Como neighborhood, commended applicant Elliot Cleaver for attending two neighborhood meetings and engaging the community. She expressed concern about gentrification and the need for residents to be informed. Eloise Burrell, another Como resident and business owner, spoke against the waiver for first-floor height (Case UDC 2026-020) citing precedent and the importance of adhering to the 15-foot requirement; she also noted the need for more community education. Both speakers were from Fort Worth, Texas.
• North Fort Worth Historical Society: Melissa Wade Hunter (Binbrook, Texas) spoke against the vacation of a public access easement (Case UDC 2026-018), arguing that permanently vacating it would decrease connectivity and undermine the form-based code that was carefully crafted.
• Near Southside Inc.: Austin James (not a public speaker but a staff representative) spoke in favor of the auto repair shop waiver (Case UDC 2025-294), noting the existing business’s long history and the improvement over the current site condition.

Discussion Items

Continued Case – UDC 2025-306: 8744 Camp Bowie West Boulevard (Take 5 Oil)

• Request: Certificate of appropriateness for new auto-service building with waivers from the Camp Bowie Revitalization Code – (1) zero-foot building frontage in the Build-to Zone (BTZ) at the corner of Camp Bowie and Portales Drive (required 25 feet), and (2) a 3-foot street screen instead of 4-foot height.
• Staff recommended approval, noting that a 25-foot platted build line along Portales prevents placing the building closer, and the 3-foot screen has been supported on other projects. The applicant also removed a previous waiver related to pedestrian entrance orientation.
• The commission supported the waivers. Both waivers were approved 10-0.

UDC 2026-012: 307 West Exchange Avenue (Alley Vacation – Stockyards)

• Request: Recommendation to City Plan Commission and City Council to vacate an unimproved alley between West Exchange Avenue, NW 24th Street, and North Houston Street within Exchange Subdivision Block 18.
• The alley is partially vacated by a 1973 ordinance; the remaining 10-foot strip is requested. All adjacent property owners signed in favor, including the owner of the northeast corner. Staff supported the vacation.
• A commissioner confirmed the vacation would not affect traffic patterns. Approved 10-0.

UDC 2026-020: 3800 Horn Street (Multifamily Development – Como Neighborhood)

• Request: Certificate of appropriateness with a waiver to reduce first-floor floor-to-floor height from 15 feet to 10 feet 4 inches, and a recommendation to the Board of Adjustment for a variance to reduce the required projected front-yard setback on Bonnell Avenue from 20 feet to 10 feet (staff recommended 15 feet).
• The applicant proposed two three-story buildings (six units total) on four platted lots. The code requires 15-foot first-floor height to allow future commercial adaptability. The applicant argued that a 10-foot height is standard for residential garages and that 15 feet would reduce unit count. Staff noted the code also requires a 15-foot setback to respect the established block face; the adjacent residence has a 15-foot front porch setback.
• Public comment: Lake Como residents expressed appreciation for community outreach but opposed the first-floor height waiver, citing precedent and desire for future commercial potential. One resident noted traffic issues from a nearby coffee shop (La La Land Kind Coffee) as a cautionary example.
• Commission discussion focused on the conflict between the residential character of Bonnell (where a deeper setback is appropriate) and the commercial intent of Horn Street. The first-floor height waiver was denied 10-0; the setback variance recommendation was approved 10-0 with language that the setback should be determined by the established block face (rather than a specific dimension).

UDC 2026-002: 2626 North Main Street (Prosperity Bank Signs – Stockyards)

• Request: Certificate of appropriateness for two monument signs with four waivers from the Stockyards Form-Based Code: (1) sign type – monument signs not allowed in Transition Mixed-Use District; (2) setback – less than 5 feet from lot line; (3) allocation – more than one monument sign on a property with less than 1,000 linear feet frontage; (4) spacing – signs less than 500 feet apart.
• Staff recommended denial, citing that monument signs conflict with the district’s intent for pedestrian-oriented, non-suburban aesthetics, and the proposed design (silver with blue lettering) does not match the stockyards’ western/cowboy theme. The applicant did not appear.
• Commission discussion: members agreed the signs were “redundant and cluttery.” All four waivers were denied 10-0.

UDC 2026-018: 2685 Swift Armor Boulevard (Kairoi Apartments – Public Access Easement Vacation)

• Request: Recommendation to City Plan Commission and City Council to vacate a 26-foot public access easement (for vehicles) that runs through the apartment complex’s parking lot. The easement was a condition of a previous waiver allowing a dead-end street instead of a cul-de-sac. The applicant (Kairoi Apartments) cited security and safety issues: non-residents using the lot to access nearby bars (e.g., Billy Bob’s), resulting in trespassing, vandalism, and vehicle break-ins (documented in the staff report). Pedestrian access would be retained via a public use easement.
• Staff recommended denial, noting that the vacation would decrease vehicular connectivity, and the issue could have been avoided if a cul-de-sac had been built initially. The adjacent property owner has no immediate plans to develop the extension of Swift Armor Boulevard.
• Applicant Grant Saxon (Austin, Texas) argued that the access easement is bottlenecked and unsafe (13-foot drive aisle with head-in parking), and that other streets (Union Stockyard and East Exchange) provide adequate connectivity.
• Public opposition: Melissa Wade Hunter (North Fort Worth Historical Society) argued the plan was well-thought-out and vacation would reduce connectivity.
• Commission discussion: some members were sympathetic but noted the developer chose the easement over a cul-de-sac, and connectivity is a long-term goal. The motion to recommend denial passed 8-2 (Commissioners Harper and Benner dissenting).

UDC 2026-021: 2800-2900 block of West Berry Street (Morado on Berry – TCU Area)

• Request: Certificate of appropriateness for two projecting (blade) signs with three waivers from the Berry University Form-Based Code: (1) placement up to 62 feet above sidewalk (required max 24 feet); (2) signage area 170 sq. ft. per face (required max 36 sq. ft.); (3) sign height 32 feet (required max 6 feet).
• The signs are part of a large mixed-use project (538 apartment units, ground-floor retail). Staff supported the waivers, noting that the signs function like crown signs similar to those at TCU’s Molly Reed Hall and other nearby projects, and the overall sign area does not exceed code allowances (370 sq. ft. total for Berry Street frontage). The design uses TCU colors (purple/blue) and metal mesh with white illumination.
• Commissioner Halliday recused herself; did not state a reason.
• Commission discussion: members found the signs appropriate for the building’s scale and massing. All three waivers were approved 9-0.

UDC 2025-294: Near Southside Auto Repair (Location unspecified, but on Austin Avenue)

• Request: Certificate of appropriateness for construction of a two-story commercial auto repair building with a waiver to allow two garage doors on the street frontage (along Austin Avenue). The code (Near Southside Development Standards) generally prohibits residential-scale garage doors facing the street, but the applicant argued these are functional doors for a commercial use, and there is no alley to provide rear access.
• Staff supported the waiver, noting the garage doors feature transparency (glass) and will not create a blank wall. The existing business has been in operation for a long time, and the new building will improve the site with street trees and pedestrian lighting.
• Austin James (Near Southside Inc.) expressed support, clarifying the design intent and noting the existing sign is a humorous non-compliant temporary sign.
• Commission discussion: the proposal was seen as a vast improvement. The waiver was approved 10-0.

Key Outcomes

• UDC 2025-306 (Camp Bowie Take 5 Oil): Both waivers approved (10-0).
• UDC 2026-012 (Exchange Avenue alley vacation): Recommended approval to CPC/City Council (10-0).
• UDC 2026-020 (Horn Street multifamily): Waiver for first-floor height denied (10-0); variance recommendation to BOA approved with setback determined by block face (10-0).
• UDC 2026-002 (North Main Street monument signs): All four waivers denied (10-0).
• UDC 2026-018 (Swift Armor easement vacation): Recommended denial to CPC/City Council (8-2; Commissioners Harper and Benner dissenting).
• UDC 2026-021 (Morado on Berry blade signs): All three waivers approved (9-0, one recusal).
• UDC 2025-294 (Near Southside auto repair): Waiver approved (10-0).