Fort Worth is moving to put off annexation of residential enclaves with one-acre lots or greater that aren’t connected to water and sewer systems, and where a majority of residents are opposed to joining the big city.
City Council members, in a workshop Tuesday afternoon prompted by objections to annexation in some subdivisions, expressed support for a program change that would assign “low priority” to annexing such subdivisions. One recent group in far North Fort Worth showed up en masse to protest annexation, and the council put off a vote for several months.
“This means that annexation of such enclaves would be delayed until urban development or adverse impacts are anticipated,” the program change reads.
“I’ve got serious concerns about where we find ourselves right now,” Mayor Betsy Price said in opening the workshop. As she often says, “we can barely say grace over what we have right now. We have to show a reason to be annexing land, and it has to be a solid reason.”
Councilman Sal Espino expressed support for the program change, but worried that homeowners in the affected subdivisions “are still using (Fort Worth) city roads. How do we account for the use of city roads?”
- Scott Nishimura, Star-Telegram Fort Worth City Hall reporter
Twitter:@JScottNishimura
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