Keller school board approves buying land to stop motel project near elementary school

Harrison Mantas
·3 min read

The Keller school board voted unanimously Thursday to approve the purchase of land next to Basswood Elementary School to derail a motel project opposed by parents.

The district had considered using eminent domain to force the sale, but the board voted to table that motion after approving the purchase.

It’s not clear how much the district will spend on the property, but the board’s vote authorizes Superintendent Tracy Johnson to negotiate with property owner Basswood Investments LLC.

Board trustees argued the land purchase was necessary to ensure student safety in the wake of concerns from parents that the proposed Super 6 extended stay motel next to Basswood Elementary would be a magnet for crime.

The school is just off Basswood Boulevard at 3100 Clay Mountain Trail in far north Fort Worth.

A spokesperson for the developer declined to comment while negotiations are ongoing.

Parents packed a town hall meeting in February, demanding school officials and the city of Fort Worth to kill the project citing concerns about human trafficking, drug dealing and prostitution.

A parent led-petition on Change.org has gathered 1,535 signatures opposing the project.

“This is not money we want to spend, but I do believe this is the appropriate action to for protecting kids,” Place 5 Trustee Chris Coker said just before the vote Thursday.

Trustees also pointed to the need for possibly expanding Basswood Elementary in anticipation of future residential development.

Basswood Elementary serves an area roughly bounded by Heritage Trace Parkway to the north, Interstate 35W to the west, Western Center Boulevard to the south and North Riverside Drive to the eest.

The only undeveloped landsection is a roughly 300-acre parcel north of Basswood Boulevard that at one point was slated to be the home of a 10,000 seat soccer stadium and youth sports complex.

While the city of Fort Worth did rezone the area in October 2022 to allow for residential development, there haven’t been any development plans since.

Board President Dr. Charles Randklev said the property could be developed into some kind of green space in collaboration with the city of Fort Worth.

Randklev said the district would share more information with parents on potential development in the near future.

Fort Worth city council member Charles Lauersdorf, whose district includes Basswood Elementary, celebrated the board’s vote Thursday.

“It’s the students, parents and faculty of Basswood Elementary that are walking away as the real winners,” Lauersdorf said.

He called the move a compromise that shows what can happen when all parties get together to put the interests of students first.

The Keller school district built Basswood Elementary in 2007 at a time when most of the land in the area was vacant, save for a pair of auto-body shops and a Home Depot.

While the city of Fort Worth’s future plans have the area slated for a mix of residential and commercial uses, right now the most of the land is zoned “light industrial,” which allows for uses like animal hospitals, warehouses and batch plants.

When asked Thursday about the district’s decision to build an elementary school in a light industrial area, a spokesperson said: “Keller ISD is focused on moving forward and ensuring that we’re meeting the needs of all current and future Basswood Elementary students, families, and employees,” in an email to the Star-Telegram.

Lauersdorf said he’s working with city staff to rezone land around Basswood Elementary and other Keller district schools to remove industrial uses.

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