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Record of Proceedings

Fort Worth Urban Design Commission Meeting Summary - October 22, 2026

City Council — Thursday, October 22, 2026
BodyFort Worth, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, October 22, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:38:52

Original source
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:41

Alright.

0:43

We're gonna get started this morning.

0:45

It's right at nine o'clock.

0:47

So we have a big agenda today, so we'll we'll dive right in.

0:50

Good morning.

0:51

Welcome to the Urban Design Commission meeting for Thursday, October 22nd.

0:55

The Urban Design Commission requires a quorum of six members to be present and available for voting.

1:00

The following members are present today: Chairman Benner, Commissioner Carr, Commissioner Halliday, Commissioner Harrier, Vice Chair Ramsey, Commissioner Reed, Commissioner West, and Commissioner Hamza.

1:12

Did I miss anyone?

1:14

All right.

Unassigned speaker

1:15

The

Speaker 1

1:16

staff present today are Andres Hernandez, Jefferson Prado Ortiz, Laura Young, Caleb Olson, Francisco Vega, and myself, Joseph Laws.

1:28

Today's meeting and agenda, today's meeting agenda and DACA can be found online at WW.fortworth Texas.gov.

1:36

Speaker registration forms must be turned in prior to the start of the meeting.

1:39

Attendees can sign up to speak by completing the paper form or scanning the QR code.

1:44

Both of them are to uh my right on this table

Unassigned speaker

1:48

here.

Speaker 1

1:48

Today's public hearing is being documented by cable television and video conference, which will be available on the city's website after the meeting.

1:56

To achieve a timely and orderly meeting, the UDC requests the following rules of procedure be respected.

2:01

Number one, each case will be called in the sequence listed on the agenda unless otherwise directed by the chair.

2:06

Number two, all ensuing dialogue shall be directed to the UDC only.

2:10

Number three, after staff presentation, the applicant and any other proponents will be given a total of seven minutes to speak.

2:16

Opposition may then speak for seven minutes.

2:18

Continuation beyond the speaker's allotted time will be subject to the chair's sole discretion and approval.

2:24

Number four, speakers may come to the podium to my left, the commission's right to present.

2:30

All the meeting procedures will adhere to the UDC adopted rules of procedure to the extent practicable.

2:35

Following the official close of each case hearing, the UDC will remain an open session to discuss and vote on the items in question.

2:41

During this time, no further public testimony or commentary will be allowed unless directed by the chair.

2:54

For additional information on any case on today's agenda, you can contact Development Services Department by calling 817 392 8000.

3:02

Thank you for your attention and welcome to the Fort Worth Urban Design Commission meeting for October 22nd, 2026.

3:09

Mr.

3:09

Chair, will you please call this meeting to order?

Speaker 2

3:12

Good morning.

3:12

We are called to order.

3:13

Welcome to the October meeting for UDC.

3:17

Announcements.

3:18

Yeah,

Speaker 1

3:18

we have a number of announcements.

3:21

First off, if anyone in the room is here for the Young Professionals Conference, that is upstairs in the council chambers, not here.

3:33

One big announcement.

3:34

This Saturday is Arts Goggle.

3:39

So here's an example of a t-shirt that some of the volunteers are getting.

4:04

Certainly impacts a lot of development projects that we have going on, including some cases today.

4:08

So it's exciting to see this event come.

4:10

So encourage everyone to attend that this Saturday.

4:17

Some other announcements.

4:32

We're also gonna be doing our annual legal refresher training at the after the cases next month.

4:39

So, like what we did a couple months ago, we'll do all the cases, then after all the applicants leave, we'll get our annual legal refresher training.

4:48

Also, an upcoming change that's coming to UDC.

4:51

Uh UDC is graduating to the big leagues.

4:54

Uh, sometime in the next three to four months, we're going to be moving upstairs to the council chambers.

4:58

Um we will make sure to train all the commissioners on how that works.

5:02

There's some differences to how things normally work uh down here.

Unassigned speaker

5:07

So we as staff are still figuring out a lot of those logistics and how that works, but uh we will make sure to train you because some of the systems like turning on and off your mic are a little bit different upstairs.

Speaker 1

5:16

They also have a voting system there.

5:18

So yeah, you will have to press a button to vote.

5:20

But we'll probably do a training after one of the upcoming UDC sessions where we all walk up there, make sure you understand where the room is and how that all works.

Unassigned speaker

5:31

So

Speaker 1

5:31

that's all the questions that's all the announcements staff has

Speaker 2

5:36

announcements by commissioners.

Summary of Proceedings

Fort Worth Urban Design Commission Meeting Summary - October 22, 2026

The Fort Worth Urban Design Commission (UDC) met on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 9:00 AM. All eight commissioners were present. The commission unanimously approved (8-0) seven items, including a continued townhome project, multiple design waivers, a zoning text amendment, and a major rezoning recommendation to City Council.

Consent Calendar

  • Meeting Minutes: The minutes from the September 17, 2026 meeting were approved 8-0.
  • Rules of Procedure Update: The UDC adopted updated rules, including changing the meeting time from 10:00 AM to 9:00 AM, updating terminology, and clarifying filing deadlines and withdrawal procedures. The motion passed 8-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Rachel Bradford (Near Southside Inc) spoke in support of the revised May Street townhome design (Case 1) and the mixed-use parking waiver at West Magnolia (Case 4), citing design excellence and site constraints.
  • Dr. Stanley (Como NAC) testified in strong support of the Camp Bowie Form-Based Code text amendment (Case 6), commending staff for their community engagement and responsiveness.
  • Danny Eastbrook (151 Coffee) argued in favor of the landscape buffer waiver at North Freeway (Case 3), emphasizing safety concerns for employees and constrained site dimensions.
  • Brett Brofi (Tanger Outlets) supported Case 3, noting the complementary operating hours between the proposed coffee shop and the adjacent Olive Garden.
  • Shannon Burden (Applicant) explained the rationale for rezoning the Henderson Street property (Case 7), highlighting the physical constraints of the triangular, floodplain-adjacent site and the goal of aligning with the density of the surrounding Panther Island and downtown context.

Discussion Items

  • Case 1: UDC 2026-131 (132 May Street) – Continued Townhomes: The applicant presented a revised design for a six-unit townhome development, rotating the garages of the end units and adding plantings. The commission approved all four requested waivers (minimum roadside width, street tree/planting, pedestrian light, and residential scale garage orientation) in an 8-0 vote.
  • Case 2: UDC 2026-246 (603 Lock Avenue) – Urban Forestry Waiver: All Saints Episcopal Church requested a reduction in tree canopy preservation from 25% to 24% to allow a building addition. Staff supported the request, noting the applicant would mitigate the removal of a significant 42-inch Schumart oak with five times its canopy in new plantings. The waiver was approved 8-0.
  • Case 3: UDC 2026-221 (15881 North Freeway) – Coffee Shop Landscape Buffer: The applicant requested a waiver to eliminate a required 10-foot landscape buffer to enable a shared parking configuration with an adjacent restaurant. Staff recommended denial, but the commission voted 8-0 to approve the waiver, citing the site's unique constraints and the practical realities of the existing adjacent development.
  • Case 4: UDC 2026-255 (1250 West Magnolia Avenue) – Mixed-Use Parking Waiver: The applicant sought a waiver to reduce parking by 60% instead of the standard 25% allowed by code. Staff supported the waiver for this pedestrian-oriented, high-design project, noting the shared parking potential between the proposed office and restaurant uses. The waiver was approved 8-0.
  • Case 5: UDC 2026-284 (825 East Allen Avenue) – Duplex Garage Waiver: The applicant requested a waiver to allow a garage to face the public street. The alley was inaccessible due to being unimproved and having safety concerns. The waiver was approved 8-0.
  • Case 6: Camp Bowie Form-Based Code Text Amendment: Staff presented a text amendment to align the code with the district's revitalization goals. Changes include revising the use table to restrict certain auto-oriented and service uses, removing redundant definitions, and updating signage standards. The commission voted 8-0 to recommend approval to the Zoning Commission and City Council.
  • Case 7: UDC 2026-247 (1000 North Henderson Street) – Rezoning Request: The commission considered a request to rezone the 11.45-acre site from Panther Island NZ3 to PDMU2 with specific development standards, including height up to 20 stories. Staff supported the rezoning, noting the site's exclusion from the recently adopted Panther Island 2.0 code and its significant physical constraints. The Zoning Commission had previously recommended approval. The UDC voted 8-0 to recommend approval to City Council.

Key Outcomes

  • All seven items (Cases 1-7) were approved by unanimous 8-0 votes.
  • The updated UDC Rules of Procedure were formally adopted.
  • The Camp Bowie Form-Based Code text amendment and the Panther Island rezoning (Case 7) will be forwarded to the Zoning Commission and City Council for final consideration.
  • Staff announced that the UDC will move meetings to the City Council chambers in the next 3-4 months and will hold its annual legal refresher training at the next meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Alright. We're gonna get started this morning. It's right at nine o'clock. So we have a big agenda today, so we'll we'll dive right in. Good morning. Welcome to the Urban Design Commission meeting for Thursday, October 22nd. The Urban Design Commission requires a quorum of six members to be present and available for voting. The following members are present today: Chairman Benner, Commissioner Carr, Commissioner Halliday, Commissioner Harrier, Vice Chair Ramsey, Commissioner Reed, Commissioner West, and Commissioner Hamza. Did I miss anyone? All right. The staff present today are Andres Hernandez, Jefferson Prado Ortiz, Laura Young, Caleb Olson, Francisco Vega, and myself, Joseph Laws. Today's meeting and agenda, today's meeting agenda and DACA can be found online at WW.fortworth Texas.gov. Speaker registration forms must be turned in prior to the start of the meeting. Attendees can sign up to speak by completing the paper form or scanning the QR code. Both of them are to uh my right on this table here. Today's public hearing is being documented by cable television and video conference, which will be available on the city's website after the meeting. To achieve a timely and orderly meeting, the UDC requests the following rules of procedure be respected. Number one, each case will be called in the sequence listed on the agenda unless otherwise directed by the chair. Number two, all ensuing dialogue shall be directed to the UDC only. Number three, after staff presentation, the applicant and any other proponents will be given a total of seven minutes to speak. Opposition may then speak for seven minutes. Continuation beyond the speaker's allotted time will be subject to the chair's sole discretion and approval. Number four, speakers may come to the podium to my left, the commission's right to present. All the meeting procedures will adhere to the UDC adopted rules of procedure to the extent practicable. Following the official close of each case hearing, the UDC will remain an open session to discuss and vote on the items in question. During this time, no further public testimony or commentary will be allowed unless directed by the chair. For additional information on any case on today's agenda, you can contact Development Services Department by calling 817 392 8000. Thank you for your attention and welcome to the Fort Worth Urban Design Commission meeting for October 22nd, 2026. Mr. Chair, will you please call this meeting to order? Good morning. We are called to order. Welcome to the October meeting for UDC. Announcements. Yeah, we have a number of announcements. First off, if anyone in the room is here for the Young Professionals Conference, that is upstairs in the council chambers, not here. One big announcement. This Saturday is Arts Goggle. So here's an example of a t-shirt that some of the volunteers are getting. Certainly impacts a lot of development projects that we have going on, including some cases today. So it's exciting to see this event come. So encourage everyone to attend that this Saturday. Some other announcements. We're also gonna be doing our annual legal refresher training at the after the cases next month. So, like what we did a couple months ago, we'll do all the cases, then after all the applicants leave, we'll get our annual legal refresher training. Also, an upcoming change that's coming to UDC. Uh UDC is graduating to the big leagues.

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