CandysDirt.com Picks Top Suburb (And Fast-Growing Fort Worth) Stories of 2023
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At CandysDirt.com, we often venture outside “Dallas proper” for stories on housing initiatives, real estate, and neighborhood battles.
And we get it. Fort Worth is not a suburb. As the fastest-growing city in Texas, Cowtown is its own metropolitan area. However, in reviewing the top stories of the year, we couldn’t overlook Fort Worth, well-deserving of the lead spot in CandysDirt.com’s suburbs — er, cities outside Dallas — that made headlines in 2023.
We brought you the news about Fort Worth’s low crime rate and thriving downtown. We checked in on plans for the $18 million economic development engine at Panther Island. And we kept readers up to speed on Cowtown’s zoning and development issues.
And for those who just love cool real estate, we have weekly “Tarrant County Tuesday” and “Fort Worth Friday” columns dedicated to the interesting properties on the market in one of the most exciting regions in the Lone Star State.
Here are the other cities that filled our news feeds with great stories in 2023. They’re actual suburbs, we promise.
Allen Premium Outlets Shooting Rocks North Texas
North Texans were stunned by the May 6 shooting at Allen Premium Outlets that left nine dead, including the perpetrator.
Keller Williams Realty agents all around the world participated in RED Day, an annual day of service for the company, and the Realtors of KW Allen felt a special sense of purpose this year.
The shooter, 33-year-old Mauricio Martinez Garcia, was reportedly a far-right extremist who had no connection to the victims.
Historic Black Church Gets to Stay in Addison
Following a late-night December meeting, the Addison City Council approved a Special Use Permit for a historic Black church, allowing White Rock Chapel to continue holding services in a residential neighborhood.
Neighbors voiced concerns about traffic and the church’s plans for expansion, and they refuted claims that the matter was about race. It came down to upholding the law, said Mayor Bruce Arfsten.
“The use of this property is the only use this property has ever had, as far as we know, at least going back 100 years,” Arfsten said. “The neighborhood grew up around it. There’s a matter of private property rights … For me, the decision is really clear. We have to follow the law and we have to follow the Constitution, even though it’s unpopular among a lot of our residents.”
Duncanville Rezones 42 Acres For Nature Preserve
Another suburb, another long city council meeting.
CandysDirt.com followed the plight of Duncanville residents as they pleaded for a comprehensive plan update and the rezoning of 42 acres for a nature preserve.
Supporters of the nature preserve said the Ladd property at 609 W. Danieldale Road, unofficially named the Charles F. Ladd Nature Preserve, will protect wildlife or plant habitat and other natural features while providing nature trails and park-like features for community gathering space.
Those on the other side of the matter said the city would be better served by building profit-generating development on the vacant land.
The nature preserve prevailed, as Duncanville council members approved the rezoning in July.
Plano Places Temporary Ban on Short-Term Rentals
Plano also took center stage in 2023, being one of the first Texas municipalities to take a hard stance on short-term rentals.
The City Council voted in May to prohibit new STRs from setting up shop in residential neighborhoods for one year. The Dallas City Council created its own ban the following month. Enforcement on Dallas STRs is temporarily on hold while the matter is tied up in a lawsuit.
Plano residents also have fought residential boarding homes, which they say violate the city’s zoning ordinance for single-family neighborhoods.
Mesquite Homeowners Association Forecloses on, Evicts Longtime Resident
CandysDirt.com got a ton of feedback on the case of Finda Koroma, a 68-year-old home health nurse who was evicted from the home where she’s lived for 18 years.
Koroma owed the HOA $3,500.
Some weighed in that the HOA was within its rights to take such action and that Koroma was likely given ample notice about the debt before the board voted to foreclose. Her home was reportedly sold at auction for well below its value.
The HOA still has not responded to a request for comment on the story.
Frisco Continues Explosive Growth And Is One of America’s Safest Cities
Frisco continues to be a top newsmaker municipality as rooftops go up in the massive Fields development and plans for Universal Studios unfold.
Universal Parks & Resorts and the City of Frisco announced in January that a one-of-a-kind family theme park is proposed for a 97-acre site on the Fields Development along Dallas North Tollway and Panther Creek Parkway.
While the development of Universal Studios, Fields Frisco, PGA Headquarters, and even the new H-E-B grocery store could result in increasing home values, traffic, and at-capacity schools, Frisco remains one of the safest cities in the U.S.
