At a fiery public meeting in Keller ISD on Wednesday night, parents and teachers expressed outrage after the City of Fort Worth approved plans for a Studio 6 extended-stay hotel to be built feet away from an elementary school.
Parents at Basswood Elementary School said they believed the hotel would be a safety concern for their kids, and the school district said they planned to take legal action to put a stop to construction.
The meeting was run by Fort Worth District 4 City Councilman Charlie Lauersdorf, who started out by explaining the process through which a Studio 6 hotel was approved to be built next door to the school following a requested zoning change in the fall.
“The applications were submitted to the City of Fort Worth, it went through staff, and from there, notifications then get sent out,” Lauersdorf told the crowd.
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He was interrupted by the Keller ISD superintendent, who said the city didn’t properly notify the district of the zoning change for the hotel.
Dr. Tracy Johnson said the city first tried to notify a previous employee who no longer worked with Keller ISD and then sent a postcard to district headquarters that was not addressed to the superintendent.
“And I guess my question for you is, this is a big deal, this is a big deal, to have a Motel 6, we’re sharing green space [with],” Johnson said to Lauersdorf. “That is the best that y’all can do for our kids? I mean, these are your kids, too.”
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Then, parents in the sizable crowd began shouting questions.
“Do you plan on stopping the project, yes or no?” one parent yelled at the councilman.
“We can not stop the project, no,” Lauersdorf replied.
Multiple parents and teachers said they believed that building a hotel next to the school would put students at risk, citing concerns over trespassing and the potential for trafficking.
“We haven’t even heard from the owner about the precautions they’re planning on taking,” a Basswood teacher said. “But they’re not the ones that are going to be huddled with six-year-olds in lockdown drills that will inevitably increase next to this hotel.”
“I’m begging you, let’s show some kindness and respect for these teachers and this principal and this Keller district,” a grandparent said. “Because we do not deserve this here.”
The project’s owner, Dev Surati, defended the hotel plan, saying the school was built in an area that had been zoned for Light Industry years earlier and already neighbored a Home Depot.
“How is it going to help these families? How is it going to help the faculty?” a parent asked Surati.
“This school was put in a commercial district,” Surati replied.
After dozens of outbursts, councilman Lauersdorf switched course and said he would immediately take action to halt the project.
“What we’re going to do now is, as soon as I leave here, I will call Leann Guzman, our city attorney, I will set up an emergency meeting, I will have [Keller ISD Superintendent] Dr. Johnson there, we will get all the brightest and best minds around the room and figure out how we can fix the situation,” Lauersdorf told the crowd.
The Keller ISD superintendent also said the district would be taking action to block the hotel from being built.
“On behalf of Keller ISD, we are demanding that construction stop immediately,” Johnson said. “We will be getting legal counsel involved on this first thing in the morning.”
Before Wednesday’s meeting, NBC 5 reached out to the ownership group behind the planned Studio 6 extended-stay hotel.
“We look forward to opening a Studio 6 hotel at 3044 Clay Mountain Trail, expanding the Studio 6 footprint in Dallas-Fort Worth,” the company said. “This property will serve as an affordable lodging option for the visitors at the multitude of medical facilities, universities, and other corporations in the immediate area. We look forward to providing clean, comfortable rooms and great service at an affordable rate.”
