top of page
image-assetkk.jpg

Community Arts Center

October 14, 2023

​

The future of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center's building at 1300 Gendy is on the table. After issuing a Request for Proposals to reimagine the historic building, the City of Fort Worth appointed a task force to make recommendations. That group narrowed down the field to two potential scenarios to consider.  Public presentations of the two scenarios were held on October 11. 

The City still wants to hear comments from the public. You have until this Monday at 4 p.m. to weigh in!

Read more about it and scroll to the end of the story for a link to make comments:

https://fortworthreport.org/2023/10/12/2-proposals-reimagine-fort-worth-community-arts-center-public-has-a-few-days-to-react/

 

 

Missing Middle Housing

September 23, 2023

 

The message below was sent to NHMNA by United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth.  Please contact Susan Urshel (seurshel@yahoo.com) if you would like to attend the meeting on September 26.

UNFW members,

On Sept.12 the Fort Worth City Council gave us a continuation of the Neighborhood Conservation and Housing Affordability Strategy plan, thanks to the work done by David Schwarte of the Texas Neighborhoods Coalition and speakers from United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth.  They were all objecting to aspects of the plan that incentivized Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and denser housing in single family neighborhoods called Missing Middle Housing. Both options, if and when passed, would make neighborhoods a different place in which to live.  

Now the City of Fort Worth has called a meeting to be led by Assistant City Manager Fernando Costa on Sept. 26 at 2:30 pm. at City Hall to walk through the NCHA plan and missing middle housing proposal.  Several of us have been asked to come, but we wanted to give everyone in United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth an invitation as well.   Please feel free to join us at 2:30 on September 26th in Council Chambers on the 2nd floor.  

This is an informational meeting.  No vote will be taken.  You should find it interesting, and we urge you to take the information back to your neighborhood associations.  Because the City is moving forward quickly on this critical issue, please send us an email if you will be attending. The City has moved the meeting to the City Council chambers, so there will be plenty of room. 

As always, thank you for your help.  Remember, your voice can make a difference.  We have won many battles together.  Let's do one more.  

Carol Peters and Marsha Wright

​

 

Meet Macy Hill

July 20, 2023

​

The West Side Alliance invites you to “MEET AND GREET” newly elected District 7 City Council-member Macy Hill, Tuesday, July 25, 5:00pm - 6:30pm. COME AND GO, Fort Worth Firefighters Hall, 3855 Tulsa Way at Crestline Road. Complimentary pizza provided. The West Side Alliance represents more than 5,000 households in: Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association, Crestline Area Neighborhood Association, Crestwood Neighborhood Association, Monticello Neighborhood Association, North Hi Mount Neighborhood Association and West Byers Neighborhood Association.

​

 

Residential Food Waste Program

May 6, 2023

​

Please see the information below from the city's "Keep Fort Worth Beautiful" office:

 

National Composting Day is May 29th. The City of Fort Worth began the Residential Food Waste Composting Program in 2019. This program enables residents to take food scraps to any of the 17 Collection Sites across the city.  Last year, subscribers used their kits to keep 109,485 pounds of waste from going to the landfill!

Keep Fort Worth Beautiful’s goal is to sign up 2,300 residents in 2023 for the Fort Worth’s Residential Food Waste Composting Program.

We appreciate your assistance in spreading the word about this important program. Participation is as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. Register!
    For a one-time, subscription fee of only $20, residents will receive a starter kit that includes a kitchen pail, transport bucket, and educational materials.

  2. Pick up your Starter Kit!
    Arrange pick up from one of six locations:

  • Brennan Drop-Off Station, 2400 Brennan Ave.

  • Southeast Drop-Off Station, 5150 Martin Luther King Jr. Frwy.

  • Old Hemphill Drop-Off Station, 6260 Old Hemphill Rd.

  • Hillshire Drop-Off Station, 301 Hillshire Dr.

  • Hazel Harvey Peace Center for Neighborhoods, Consumer Health Office, 818 Missouri Ave.

  • Keep Fort Worth Beautiful Office, 908 Monroe St., 7th floor

  1. Start composting!
    Collect and take your food waste to one of 17 convenient, collection sites across the city.

To keep up to date on Keep Fort Worth Beautiful programs and events, sign-up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!

Please reach out with any questions to our Keep Fort Worth Beautiful team at 817-392-2046 or kfwb@fortworthtexas.gov

​

 

 

Upcoming City Candidate Forums

April 3, 2023

​

In the coming weeks, there will be numerous opportunities to hear from the candidates running for city council and the mayor's office.  Below are two events of particular interest:

Mayoral Candidate Forum
Hosted by Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.
Aloft Hotel, 334 W 3rd St
Wednesday, April 12, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
RSVP here
Submit questions here

District 7 Candidate Forum
Hosted by West Side Alliance
IAFF Local 440, 3855 Tulsa Way
Tuesday, April 18, 6:30 PM
RSVP to Marsha Wright (mmtwright@aol.com)

Continuous coverage of these and other local races can be found at this webpage:
Fort Worth & Tarrant County Election News | Fort Worth Report

 

​

 

STR State Legislative Update

March 27, 2023

 

The message below (link for pdf-file) is being forwarded from United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth, pertaining to time-sensitive developments with short-term rental legislation at the state level.  Please direct any questions to the leader of UNFW, Marsha Wright, at mmtwright@aol.com.

Thank you!

​

United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth, pertaining to time-sensitive developments with short-term rental legislation at the state level.

 

​

 

City Council candidates

February 28,2023

​

City Council elections will be held May 5th.  Fort Worth will be adding two more districts onto the council in this election, bringing the total to 11 districts.

Our neighborhood is represented by District 7.  Councilman Leonard Firestone is not running for reelection.  Three candidates have filed for the District 7 race.  You can learn more about them, as well as the Mayoral candidates, at this link from the Fort Worth Report:

https://fortworthreport.org/2023/02/17/here-are-the-30-candidates-running-for-fort-worth-city-council/

Note that the voter registration deadline is April 6th.

We encourage you to learn about the races and cast your ballot this spring.  If and when local organizations hold candidate forums in our area, we will try to circulate that information to the neighborhood.

​

 

Short Term Rentals Update

January 25, 2023

​

Happy New Year, Neighbors!
The latest updates from the City of Fort Worth pertaining to Short Term Rentals can regularly be found at the following webpage:

https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/short-term-rentals

City Council is scheduled to consider a registration ordinance for legal STRs this coming Tuesday, January 31.

If you have questions regarding the recent history or current state of STR ordinances in Fort Worth, or their impact in North Hi Mount, our Zoning Chair Susan Urshel may be able to assist you: seurshel@yahoo.com, 817-989-1480

​

​

Residential Parking Permit Program

December 27, 2022

 

If your household utilizes the neighborhood parking permit program, please see the following reminder from the city:
 

Please inform residents 2023 stickers/vendor passes are ready. Residents must go to online system and enter email address and password.
 
Thanks Again, Merry Christmas!!
 
Gerald Taylor
Ground Transportation Coordinator
909 Taylor Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76012
Ph. 817-392-6987
Gerald.Taylor@fortworthtexas.gov

​

As a reminder, residents need to re-register online in December of each year, then pick up your permit stickers and hang tags at 405 West 7th Street (downtown).

Registration and other program information can be found here: https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/tpw/parking/resident

​

​

Short Term Rental Complaints

October 19, 2022

​

The following message was shared with North Hi Mount by United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth and provides a reporting opportunity, related to the ongoing topic of short term rental regulations in the city:

United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth would like to hear from anyone who has a short term rental operating in their neighborhood or has reported a short term rental to the city. We hope to compile an ongoing list of cases. The city has been inconsistent in its responses to citizen complaints. If you know a short term rental is operating illegally in your neighborhood, please report it. We can help you. Just a reminder, short term rentals or properties rented for under 30 days are not allowed in residential areas. 
 

Also, the city has discouraged code officers from pursuing cases despite an ordinance that prohibits short term rentals. We need to gather evidence, track cases citywide, follow up and make it clear to Council we expect it to enforce city ordinances.

UNFW hopes to demonstrate to Council how inconsistent enforcement has been and encourage the city to take a stand. Citizens should have confidence that reporting a short term rental violation to the city will end in a penalty for operators.

We need to have the following information:
a. Person who will be our contact with email and phone number, address.
b. Address of STR
c. Code Case number, if there is one
d. Council person and District #

Is the STR:
1. Unreported
2. Reported but still operating
3. Closed and re-opened
4. Being worked by Code
5. Not pursued by Code

Documentation is key to proving a case as many operators tell guests to make false claims to code to avoid enforcement. Help the city help you by taking photos, noting when guests are in the home and when, and any details that might help. Take pictures or videos of the short term rental if possible. Is the STR being advertised? If so, where?

Please send your information to Linda Fulmer at lindafulmer@sbcglobal.net.

United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth

​

 

Bowie House Construction Hours

August 29, 2022

​

The Bowie House Hotel excavation phase has been completed.  The garage and structure are built, and the building is "topped off" (the roof is on).

As per our original agreement with the developers, construction on the building is now permitted Monday-Saturday, 7:00am to 8:00pm.  The five-day work week limitation only covered the first building phase of the project, since it was the noisiest.

Susan Urshel
NHMNA Zoning Chair
Seurshel@yahoo.com

817-989-1480

 

 

August 16, 2022 City Council Meetings

 

Below is a final update from United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth about Tuesday's City Council meetings on short term rentals.  As always, feel free to direct your comments on the issue to Councilman Firestone (817-392- 8807, District7@fortworthtexas.gov) and/or Mayor Parker (817-392-6118), and send any neighborhood-oriented questions to NHMNA Zoning Chair Susan Urshel (817-989-4580, seurshel@yahoo.com).
 

On Tuesday, at 1:00 the Council will be giving a report from the Deckard company on their data mining of short term rentals. If you want to watch their meeting, go to google, type in FWTV, when it comes up, click on FWTV, then click on watch on-line live stream.  The part on short term rentals is at the very end of the agenda. 

Texas Neighborhoods' Coalition helped United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth by having Inside Airbnb, a well known company in this field, scrub Airbnb here in Fort Worth.  Since the city is giving their report on Tuesday, we thought you might want to look at this report, if you haven't already. 

Here’s the link to the overview of the information Inside Airbnb scraped from Airbnb’s website:
http://insideairbnb.com/fort-worth

And this link will take you to downloadable spreadsheets with all the data that the overview pulls from (listings, reviews, calendars, etc)
http://insideairbnb.com/get-the-data

And here is some general information on how Inside Airbnb compiles this data:
http://insideairbnb.com/data-assumptions

Citizens' Forum begins at 6:00 in city hall for all of those who choose to speak. Whomever plans to speak needs to sign up by 4:00 on Tuesday.  To sign up go to: www.fortworthtexas.gov. Scroll down to the bottom of the web page, and click on City Council meeting agenda. Then go to August 16 on the left column and click on the agenda for public presentations. There will be a blue link where you can sign up to speak.  

Each of you have three minutes to speak. Bring as many friends as you want. 

​

​

Feedback on STRs to City Council

August 12, 2022

 

Below please find a time-sensitive message from United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth, one of the organizations with which North Hi Mount Neighborhood Association has partnered for information and advocacy pertaining to short term rentals:
 

PLEASE ACT TODAY
Tuesday may well be one of the most important days in the City Council's consideration of how to deal with short-term rentals in Fort Worth.  To see why, read the discussion below under the heading "About Next Tuesday's Council Meetings."  We encourage you to provide additional input to the Council today because staff will be preparing a report to the Council about public comments received through the end of the day today (Friday, August 12).. 

We have just learned that today is the last day for submitting comments to the City on the City's Thought Exchange survey toll and probably for voting on the four proposed zoning options.

Take the City Poll
If you have not yet responded to the poll, now is the time to do so.  To take the poll, go to https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/short-term-rentals.  Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the section entitled "Submit comments or questions about STRs.  Take the poll.  Of the four options, only Option 1 maintains the City's current prohibition against STRs in residential neighborhoods.

The City's ThoughtExchange Tool
The City's Communications and Public Engagement has provided an innovative online tool for providing and sharing short comments which other participants can rate.  This tool is described by the City as follows:

  • Share your thoughts in an exchange where you will be asked to respond to one open-ended question, as well as consider and assign stars to some of the ideas shared by participants and learn what's important to the group. Take part by:

After you submit one thought, you can review and rate the thoughts submitted by others.  They are all short and you can give them 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree) stars.  By clicking the three vertical dots to the right of a thought, you can skip a thought and move to the next thought.  Stating agreement or disagreement with thoughts will give you an opportunity to weigh in on the various concepts being discussed.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO BEFORE NEXT TUESDAY'S COUNCIL MEETINGS?
Email Comments to the City
You may email comments or questions email FWConnection@fortworthtexas.gov
Send Emails or Letters to the Mayor and Council
There is still time to send in letters and emails prepared for your consideration by United Neighborhoods of Fort Worth.

ABOUT NEXT TUESDAY'S COUNCIL MEETINGS
Although the agenda for the City Council Work Session to be held next Tuesday afternoon (August 16) has not yet been posted, we expect the City Council to receive reports from the City Manager concerning: (1) the results of a study identifying short-term rentals located within the City limits; (2) responses to an RFP among contractors bidding to manage an STR registration system; (3) public responses to the online survey conducted by the City concerning four zoning options; and (4) public comment received by the City in in letters and emails, during public comment sessions at City Hall, and as thoughts submitted and rated using he City's online t"ThoughtExchange" tool.  

The Councilmembers may discuss their thinking on the direction they think the City should take with respect to STRs.  They may request the City Manager and Legal Department to begin drafting ordinances relating to zoning and non-zoning regulations. And they may take up legal and contracting issues in a non-public Executive Session.

At 6:00 PM, the Council will hold a public comment session.  At that time, members of the public may provide additional comments about STRs, including comments based on what happened during the public Council Work Session.
UNITED NEIGHBORHOODS OF FORT WORTH
Bill Schur
912 N Bailey Ave
Fort Worth TX 76107-1012
817-880-4167 (c)                      
wmschur@swbell.net

 

​

Short Term Rentals Update

July 16, 2022

​

Thank you for the many thoughtful responses to our recent neighborhood survey regarding Short Term Rental ordinances.  27 of 41 respondents (66%) voted against allowing STRs in North Hi Mount.  In accordance with that majority opinion, the Neighborhood Association has proceeded to partner with West Side Alliance and other local organizations voicing our collective concerns and suggestions to the City of Fort Worth.

Recently the City launched an information page for the STR topic, where you can learn about current proposals and zoning options.  There is also a form where you can submit your comments and questions directly to the City:

https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/neighborhoods/short-term-rentals

If and when additional developments arise which impact NHM, we will relay the information to you.

​

​

FEEDBACK REQUESTED: Short Term Rentals

​June 27, 2022

 

The City of Fort Worth is reviewing its Short Term Rentals ordinance that was adopted in 2018.  A short term rental, as defined by the City, is any rental that is less than 30 days.

In the City of Fort Worth, if you rent your home or property to someone, it must be be for a minimum of 30 days' lease or longer.  To rent for less than 30 days in a residential area is illegal, as it is in violation of the ordinance.  Under Fort Worth’s current ordinance, short term rental are ALLOWED in 40 DIFFERENT ZONING AREAS within the city limits but NOT ALLOWED in ANY RESIDENTIALLY-ZONED AREAS such as North Hi Mount.

Despite the ordinance, there are many illegal short term rentals operating in residential neighborhoods.  Many citizens believe the enforcement of the ordinance has been inadequate and would like to see that dramatically improved.  Others contend STR can be a positive opportunity for the community and that Fort Worth's ordinance/regulations ought to be better modernized.

Since short term rentals are a hot topic, North Hi Mount Neighborhood Association would like to hear what our neighbors think.  Please provide your opinion by voting in the form linked below.  Your input is much appreciated!

Submit Your Feedback Here

NHMNA is being encouraged to join our surrounding neighborhoods to voice our area's collective concerns and suggestions to the City, in hopes of achieving stricter enforcement of City regulations of STR.  However, before participating in such activism, we want to understand how our residents actually view the issue.

Below are some recent news articles to provide you with additional context on the topic:


As well, the City is planning to launch a webpage in early July, where you will be able to voice your concerns directly to Council staff.

For more information or questions, please contact NHMNA Zoning Chair Susan Urshel at 817-989-1480.

 

​

Bowie House Construction Saturdays

As you know, we have an agreement in place with the Bowie House development team to not work on Saturdays during the initial phases of construction.  We wanted to make you aware of two upcoming exceptions to this schedule:

1. Austin Construction has requested their teams be allowed to conduct some minimal disruption maintenance and cleanup tasks on upcoming Saturdays, including dewatering the site and unloading materials.  They have indicated that no motorized equipment will be necessary for these tasks.  The NHMNA Board has agreed to temporarily allow this work on Saturdays, on a trial basis, beginning February 19.  However, if neighbors find the tasks to be overly noisy or otherwise disruptive, we reserve the right to revoke this exception.

2. On the weekend of March 4-6, Austin Construction will be erecting the crane on site.

As always, please contact NHMNA Zoning Chair Susan Urshel (seurshel@yahoo.com), City Councilman Leonard Firestone (District7@fortworthtexas.gov), and/or Austin Construction (BowieHouseConstruction@austin-ind.com) with any questions or concerns with this project.

​

​

Bowie House Construction Underway​

Construction of the Bowie House hotel was scheduled to begin officially Monday, January 24. But as you probably noticed, it actually started this past week. So, here we go…

 

As a reminder, please send your construction questions/issues to:
Austin Construction Email BowieHouseConstruction@austin-ind.com

Austin is also setting up a website: https://www.bowieplaceinfo.com/

The City also has an app, MyFW, which is great for reporting non-emergency issues like street conditions, code enforcement, traffic, etc.  You can download the app on Android or Apple.

Plus, you can always get in touch with me or our City Councilman Firestone by phone or email with your questions or concerns.

Susan Urshel, NHMNA Zoning Chair
Phone 817-989-1480
Email seurshel@yahoo.com

Councilman Leonard Firestone
Phone 817-392-8807
Email District7@fortworthtexas.gov

 

​
NHMNA Board Nominations

We had planned to host a Neighborhood Association general meeting in late January, at which time we would have held officer elections for the remaining positions of President, Development Chair, Secretary, & Treasurer.  However, due to recent COVID concerns, we have decided to wait another month or so before our next in-person meeting.  Thus we will again conduct Board elections by email, as is approved in our bylaws.

 

The NHMNA Nominating Committee has presented the following candidates:

 

President: Glenn Silvi

Development Chair: Susan Urshel (continuing for another term)  

Secretary: Mari-Beth Douglas (continuing for another term)  

Treasurer: Ann Stahl (continuing for another term)  

 

If any additional members are interested in nominating yourself for one of the above offices, please do so by replying to this email by Saturday, January 22, with a brief description of yourself and your desire to serve.  After finalizing the nominees we will open the voting process.

 

Reminder: Annual membership dues can be renewed this month, either by Zelle to jeanstahl@yahoo.com or by mail (cash or check) to 908 Dorothy Lane.  Members who already paid in November 2021 are considered current for 2022.  

 
​
Austin Construction Mailbox
Austin Construction has established the following email account to answer our questions and concerns during the Bowie House Hotel project.  Please feel free to contact them directly: BowieHouseConstruction@austin-ind.com
​

​

Bowie House Construction Update

​I wanted to update you on the latest happenings regarding the Bowie House Hotel.  We have received no communication from the developer, Jo Ellard’s team since early June.  Communications regarding the Bowie House project have occurred through the City of Fort Worth staff and Councilman Firestone.  So far, all the construction work and the closing of the streets has been by the City and utilities companies, not the hotel.  Once this part is finished, the hotel construction can begin.


Last week, the Bowie House Hotel received its permit to begin construction.  The groundbreaking ceremony will be sometime in late January.  The construction work hours are from 7am to 7pm Monday-Friday.  No Saturday or Sunday except when the crane is installed.  This initial phase will be the loudest and dirtiest.  Once the roof is on the building , work will be less intrusive, and hours will shift to Monday-Sunday.

​

For the duration of the Bowie House construction, the west side of Camp Bowie Blvd. will be closed as it is now.  During the first part of the project, excavating for the underground parking garage, there will be 80-90 trucks in and out of the construction site.  After many frustrating conversations, phone calls and emails, the City staff gave Bowie House the permit to allow empty trucks to exit Hwy. 30 to Montgomery St., then turn west on Camp Bowie Blvd. to the construction site.  The dirt-loaded trucks leaving the construction site will go a bit west on Camp Bowie Blvd., then take an immediate left and go south on Watonga to Montgomery to Hwy 30.  To save the Camp Bowie bricks, they will be removed as needed.

This plan for the trucks is not what NHMNA or AHNA wanted, but it was determined by City staff that Watonga was the best route.  The developer is preparing a website and email for residents.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about this project, please get in touch with our Councilman Firestone or myself.
If you have any questions, concerns (there are many), or comments about Dorothy Ave. specifically, please also get in touch with Councilman Firestone or Ty Thompson, whose contact information is below.

Susan Urshel
NHMNA Zoning Chair
817-989-1480
Seurshel@yahoo.com

Leonard Firestone
City Councilmember for District 7
817-392-8807
Leonard.firestone@fortworthtexas.gov

Ty Thompson
Assistant Director Development Services Development
682-299-9110
Tyson.Thompson@fortworthtexas.gov

​

​

Residential Parking Permit Program

Gerald Taylor from the city's Parking Services office asked us to forward the following message regarding the Residential Permit Parking Program:

2022 stickers and vendor passes will be available beginning December 16 at SP Plus.  Residents must register online before pick up of stickers and vendor passes. The color of the stickers has changed this year.


Those of you already registered in the Parking Permit Program should have received an email reminder for renewal this week.  You need to re-register online in December of each year, then pick up your permit stickers and hang tags at 405 West 7th Street (downtown).

Those of you on Dorothy Lane who recently signed up for permits will have to repeat the registration process to obtain your 2022 permits.  Go to https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/tpw/parking/resident to register online, then go to the street address listed above to obtain the permit stickers and hang tags

Additional information about the program can also be found at the website linked above.

​

​

bottom of page