Downtown Design Review Board Public Hearing and Meeting Summary - 2026-10-13

The Downtown Design Review Board (DDRB) held a public hearing and regular meeting on 2026-10-13 at 10:45 UTC. Note: the raw transcript repeatedly identifies the meeting date as October 1, 2026, which conflicts with the date provided for this summary. Five board members were present: Paul Redma, Kirk Milliken, Leah Dunn, Brandon Burns, and Terry Bailey. Staff included Francisco Vega, Trey Qualls, Joe Laws, Andres Hernandez, Laura Young, and Jennifer Mullinshot in the audience. The board approved prior minutes, handled two administrative case changes, conducted a public hearing on a surface parking lot canopy waiver, and postponed another case.

Announcements

• Giovanni Gonzalez, a sophomore from Crowley, was introduced as a work-experience student at Downtown Forward Inc.
• Staff noted the board may move future public hearings to the main chambers to use voting technology, with training to be scheduled.
• Main Street Table drew about 600 people; Parade of Lights tickets go on sale November 22 at 6 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Meeting minutes: The August 6, 2026 meeting minutes were approved unanimously on a motion by Terry Bailey, with a second and a unanimous roll-call vote.
• Case DG 2026 032 (Dr. Pepper building sign): Withdrawn. The proposed wall sign was initially 200 square feet, about five times the maximum allowed; after staff worked to scale it down, the applicant was not satisfied and decided not to include signage.
• Case DG 2026 039: Continued to November. The applicant’s plans contained technical inaccuracies, including restrooms without doors and roof inconsistencies on elevations, so the applicant hired a new architect. It is a single-family home case seeking a sidewalk-related waiver.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Eddie Cervantes, Schwartz Hansen Architects (applicant, DG 2026 040): Presented the surface parking lot proposal. He said the only feasible interior tree locations are roughly four to four-and-a-half-foot end-cap islands, and adding trees would reduce parking by two to four spaces. The owner is open to installing trees if the board recommends them.
• Alyssa Konor, Downtown Fort Worth Inc. (DFWI) Design Review Committee: Expressed support for the application with modifications. She stated the Heritage Park Streetscape project is at 95% construction drawings, spans the block from Houston to Throckmorton, would remove the drive-by lane, and would add street parking, wider sidewalks, and continuous street trees and lights. DFWI prefers that Belknap Street trees and lights not be required of this applicant because the separate streetscape project will install them. The full project is about four years away, with the streetscape component intended to bid this summer.
• John Hamilton, civil engineer: Answered questions on parking lot standards, including that the one-way drive aisle width used is 14.5 feet per Fort Worth street parking ordinance guidelines.
• No opposition speakers registered or testified.

Discussion Items

• DG 2026 040, identified in the transcript as both 11 Northeastern Street and 11 North Houston Street: The applicant requested a certificate of appropriateness for a new surface parking lot with approximately 32 parking spaces, plus a waiver from the 40% minimum tree canopy coverage requirement. Staff reported the former structure on the site had been demolished, making this a major modification under downtown standards. The proposal includes removing deteriorated planters, installing tree grates, replacing pedestrian lights, restriping, and adding chain-and-pole delineation. Staff calculated that 40% canopy coverage on the roughly 13,000-square-foot parking area equals about 5,200 square feet of canopy, requiring approximately three large canopy trees (about 2,000 square feet each) or a combination involving medium trees (about 700 square feet) and small trees (about 100 square feet). Street trees do not count toward the 40% canopy requirement.
• Board deliberation: Members discussed whether to require interior canopy trees despite the tight site layout. One member supported two large trees in the interior islands, citing the site’s high visibility. Another member expressed concern about waiving Belknap Street trees: if the Heritage Park project does not proceed, there may be no city mechanism to install trees later. Staff responded that the Heritage Park project is likely, with continued coordination and a meeting the next day.
• Reopened hearing: The applicant returned to say that along Houston Street, an adjacent property has an empty planter bed and an old light pole; if considered, the applicant would replace those as well.

Key Outcomes

• DG 2026 040 approved with modified waiver: The board voted unanimously to grant the certificate of appropriateness and to reduce the minimum tree canopy coverage waiver from 40% to 30%. Two large canopy trees would provide approximately 4,000 square feet of canopy, about 31% coverage. The motion carried unanimously by roll-call vote; the transcript’s vote call lists Redma, Milliken, Dunn, Blake, Burns, and Bailey, although only five members were announced as present at the start.
• DG 2026 036 (1413 West Rio Grande) postponed: Because the applicant was not present, and after staff noted a prior absence contributed to a four-month appeal/Board of Adjustment process, the board unanimously voted to continue the case to November. Staff also reported that a mural at the property has already been painted, is under violation, and the applicant will need to return for disapproval.
• Next meeting: The November DDRB meeting is currently scheduled for November 5, 2026, but the chair said it might be moved back one week or canceled due to scheduling and staff preparation constraints.