The proposed development, located in the 9200-9400 block of Tehama Ridge Parkway, included 340 multifamily apartment units along with roughly 40 single-family townhomes and cottages.
Located adjacent to the ongoing Citadel development, other possible uses included office space and retail.
"Multifamily is not the answer here," said Dennis Shingleton, Fort Worth City Council member for District 7. "Commercial is the answer."
Shingleton added that he has worked closely with the developer, Zale Properties, and other interested parties but remains hesitant to approve a high-density apartment complex located in close proximity to the Tehama Ridge neighborhood.
William Zale, with Zale Properties, said the number of apartment units had been lowered at Shingleton's request.
Zale noted that Zale Properties is the developer, general contractor and property manager for many of its projects and likened The Citadel complex to CityLine Park in Richardson. A lot of time was also spent on the design of trail and sidewalk systems with the anticipation of activity between the residential development and nearby retail locations, he said.
"We’re very passionate about the area, and we believe in the Alliance corridor," Zale said. "Our goal is to create an urban village."
District 4 Council Member Cary Moon seconded Shingleton's motion to deny the request. Moon pointed to the success of commercial properties in the area, such as Costco, Target and Main Event, as the right path forward.
"The 76244 and 76177 ZIP codes are the most densely populated in Fort Worth," Moon said. "We need to look and see where are our retail properties and where can we maximize our master plan."
Council denied the zoning change from intensive commercial to urban-residential-multifamily by a vote of 7-0.
