Building out back 🏡

ADU regulations in Fort Worth

Imagine if this was the view from your street. | Photo by @ohhhwavy

In case you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know about the national housing shortage. But did you know that in the last decade, the shortage in DFW has gotten worse, lacking 86,000+ units for the population?

One way to help create more places to live is to increase the occupancy of your property with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) — think: a suite for your in-laws. You asked and we answered. Here are the basics on ADU’s in Fort Worth.

What’s an ADU?
An accessory dwelling unit is a secondary housing unit on a single-family residential lot that has a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. They can be detached structures (like a guest house or tiny home), garage apartments, additions, basements, or internal apartments to the main house.

The most important thing to remember is that an ADU is an accessory, meaning it is an extension of the main residence, but cannot be used as a separate independent residence. For example, they can be used for an elderly relative, hence the nickname granny flat, but can’t be sold as a separate property.

FTW_ADU-Graphic — ADUs can take several forms. | Graphic courtesy of the American Planning Association

The Dos
ADUs are allowed in Fort Worth in single-family residential zoned areas as long as they meet the city’s requirements — some of which include:

Must meet the city’s building code for safe, habitable structures
Must maintain the property’s setbacks (or clearance distance from the property line)

The Don’ts
There are a few things to keep in mind when considering an ADU. The structure cannot:

Exceed the height of the primary structure
Push the property’s total rooftop area over the maximum lot coverage

Where do I start?
First things first, figure out if your property falls into the correct residential zone, what type of permit you need, and the associated fees. Plug your project details into the city’s permit portal to learn more.

FTW-permit-portal-demo — Use the city’s permit portal to get started. | Images courtesy of the City of Fort Worth

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Thursday, Feb. 23

Engineers Week | Thursday, Feb. 23-Sunday, Feb. 26 | Times vary | Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, 1600 Gendy St., Fort Worth | $12-$16 | Participate in hands-on experiments to learn how engineers innovate solutions to global challenges.
PBR Stockyards Showcase | Thursday, Feb. 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Cowtown Coliseum, 121 E. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth | $15-$55 | Don’t hold your breath during the world’s elite bull riding competition.
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Friday, Feb. 24

A Seat at the Table, Black History Designer Symposium | Friday, Feb. 24 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | TCU — Brown-Lupton University Union, 2901 Stadium Dr., Fort Worth | Free | The TCU Department of Design presents the inaugural event highlighting local Black designers, who will lead a design workshop for high schoolers.
Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb | Friday, Feb. 24-Sunday, Feb. 26 | Times vary | The Modern, 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth | $7-$10 | Enjoy a charming documentary about the 50-year relationship between writer Robert Caro and his longtime editor Robert Gottlieb.

Saturday, Feb. 25

2023 Cowtown Marathon | Saturday, Feb. 25-Sunday, Feb. 26 | Will Rodgers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth | $35-$300 | Chose between the ultra, full, half marathon, Healthy High Relay, 10K, or a 5K race.
Fill the Bag | Saturday, Feb. 25-Sunday, Feb. 26 | Times vary | Fort Worth Public Library - Central, 500 W. 3rd St., Fort Worth | Free | Educators are invited to stock their classroom shelves with surplus materials from the sale of the Central Library.
Tyler Farr | Saturday, Feb. 25 | 10 p.m. | Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth | $20-$35 | Go “Redneck Crazy” with this country singer’s concert.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

KICK OFF THE WEEKEND

Weather

72º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain

Development

City Council selected the development team for Texas A&M-Fort Worth this week. Developers Virginia-based Edgemoor and Dallas-based KDC will lead the full project team that includes Smith Group, Bennett Partners, Clarke Construction, Byrne Construction Services, JLL, and ACARI Management Group. 🏗️

Environment

The Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) will preserve a six-acre prairie parcel on the southwest side of Tarrant County near Lake Benbrook. The TRWD Board of Directors voted earlier this week to leave the land undisturbed until it is needed for a future water supply pipeline. 🌱 (Fort Worth Report)

Edu

Have a favorite teacher? Nominate them for Fort Worth Magazine’s Top Teacher Award by tomorrow, Feb. 24. Select an educator in the Greater Fort Worth area and tell the review committee how that person inspires you. 🏫

Plan Ahead

Mark your calendars — TechFW’s second virtual Women & Wealth Conference will take place Saturday, March 8, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Catered towards female entrepreneurs and investors, the event will focus on investing, education, innovation, and wellness. Get tickets. 💰

Number

$320,000. That was the median home price in Fort Worth last month — $20,000 lower than December 2022 — according to the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors’ January Housing Report. The drop comes after a year of dramatic price increases, but still matches the median from January 2022.

Shop

In the market for some new threads? Local boutique Keeping Up with the Joneses has re-opened “on the bricks.” Head over to 5017 El Campo Ave. to shop new styles, accessories, and gifts. 👗

Theater

Have you seen the Best Picture nominated film “The Banshees of Inisherin” by Martin McDonagh? What about one of the writer’s plays? Theatre Wesleyan is performing a student-led production of “The Cripple of Inishmaan” through Sunday, Feb. 16. See show times. 🎭

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Be the broker ✍️

Be the broker for this Eastside development

The proposed development is on the north and west sides of Gateway Park. | Image courtesy of the City of Fort Worth

Earlier this week, Urban Land Institute presented development scenarios for 200+ acres on the Eastside to City Council.

Currently owned by Frost Brothers, there are 75-100 usable acres to the west and north of Gateway Park and Beach Street. The rest of the property will require significant floodplain mitigation as part of the Central City Flood Project’s ongoing work.

The three proposals include mixed-density residential, sports facilities, and open space conservation options.

A residential development could include 1,000 multifamily units, 15,000 sqft of retail space, and 140,000 sqft of industrial space.
If the land were to be purchased by the city for sports tourism, it could include 20+ sporting fields, a field house, a championship arena + retail and hospitality space.
The area could also be left undeveloped for open space conservation.

Be the broker — what would you do with the property?

TELL US

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Kate.

Editor’s pick: Valentine’s Day may have passed, but it’s not to late to spend a fancy afternoon with someone special. Put your pinkies up at Indulge’s Sweetheart Afternoon Tea on Sunday, Feb. 26. Reserve a table to enjoy savory sandwiches, scones and clotted cream, and pistachio rose shortbread cookies. 🫖

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Stock up on your weekly produce at these 11 farmers markets.

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Editorial: Rebecca McRobbie, Kate Mazade, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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