A warehouse complex in far north Fort Worth moved forward after the City Council approved light industrial zoning for the land.
Five industrial warehouses are planned for the 42-acre tract at 8463 N. Riverside Drive near Thompson Road. The site — across from a Keller ISD middle school — is part of a mixed-use development totaling 297 acres that was approved in 2022.
Council members agreed Nov. 11 to rezone the property after developers worked with neighborhood groups on project details.
The warehouse complex is part of a site that is also zoned for townhomes, single-family homes and commercial projects. City staff and the Zoning Commission recommended denial of the warehouse project.
Rusty Fuller, president of the North Fort Worth Alliance, said the organization supported the project. The group represents 47 communities and neighborhood associations in the area and often meets with developers.
“In this specific case, we would ask that you overturn those objections and approve the rezoning,” he told council members.
Fuller said the alliance was interested in the case since the warehouses will be across the street from Vista Ridge Middle School.
Previous zoning changes near schools prompted recent community concerns in the north Fort Worth area. In February 2024, residents opposed a planned Studio 6 extended-stay motel near Keller ISD’s Basswood Elementary School. The district eventually bought the land for $3.2 million to prevent motel development.
Residents met with developer Basswood 35 LLC to address their concerns about the warehouse development.
“We received no opposition after that meeting,” Fuller said.
As a result of that meeting, the site plan for the warehouse complex was revised to include an 80-foot landscaping buffer along Thompson Road and North Riverside Drive in lieu of an optional 30-foot buffer.
Curbs and medians will be added so tractor-trailers that access the warehouses will be limited to using either Thompson and Riverside.
Fuller said eight residents and two Keller ISD officials attended a follow-up meeting, but no opposition was recorded.
“We believe this project is well thought out and has taken into consideration the concerns of traffic and safety of the children attending the school,” Fuller said.
Council member Charlie Lauersdorf, who represents the area, said the zoning case is an example of how developers and residents can work together to address neighborhood concerns.
“This is one of those cases of how it should be done,” he said.
Lauersdorf said residents’ safety concerns were addressed.
“A lot of it was proactive,” he said.
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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