Texas Developer Opts Out of Fort Worth ETJ After New Law

The Bell Ranch Development

• 🎯 Robert Bell's 320-acre ranch, located west of Fort Worth, is slated for development including houses, apartments, and retail.
• 🗺️ The land was within Fort Worth's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), meaning the city had future development rights.

New Law and Shifting Deals

• ⚖️ A new law passed in 2023 allows property owners to leave a city's ETJ and negotiate with adjacent communities.
• 🤝 Bell's ranch, initially promised to Fort Worth for development, was able to renegotiate its terms.
• ⚡ The city of Willow Park, adjacent to the ranch, offered Bell a new development deal and faster infrastructure development.

Willow Park's Gain, Fort Worth's Loss

• 🚀 Willow Park's city manager anticipates the Bell development will significantly change the city's trajectory, marking a "pre-Robert Bell" and "post-Robert Bell" history.
• 📉 Fort Worth has already lost claim to 4,000 acres due to this law, a number expected to grow, creating a "Swiss cheese effect" in their future development plans.
• 💸 Developers like Bell benefit from the increased flexibility, stating it makes their projects more certain to happen.
• 💧 Fort Worth officials are concerned about investing in infrastructure for land that may be annexed by other cities, feeling like the "game's over before we're done."