Arlington May Annex Historic Fort Next to Metrovest Property

By Jeanne Graham
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

ARLINGTON - Surrounded by the 1,800 acres north of Arlington that the city is expected to annex from Metrovest Partners Ltd. is the site of Bird's Fort - the area's first Anglo settlement and what local historians identify as the birthplace of the Metroplex.

With both of those factors at work, Mayor Richard Greene said the city will also consider annexing the 111-acre parcel that contains Bird's Fort, which is owned by Charles Armentrout of Dallas and is home to a gun and skeet club.

"We probably are going to look at that as a separate item after the current [Metrovest] annexation," Greene said. "Bird's Fort is clearly a matter of interest to the city and its history."

The property, which has been in the Armentrout family since 1917 and has been formally recognized by the state as a historical site, sits in the middle of the acreage Metrovest plans to build into a huge commercial and residential development on three man-made lakes.

Bird's Fort was settled in 1841, and a series of events followed that eventually led to the development of the Metroplex, including a settlement to the east in 1842 called Dallas and an Army camp to the west in 1849 which would become Fort Worth, said Dorothy Rencurrel, chairwoman of Arlington's Landmark Preservation Committee.

"It is the beginning of the Metroplex," Rencurrel said. "They didn't think that back in 1841 or even 1941, but basically it was. If the city annexes it from Mr. Armentrout, we have a chance to preserve it." Although the remains of the fort are now a mound of dirt with bricks in it, Rencurrel said it has already received a historical marker from the state and if annexed, the preservation committee could also try to obtain a local designation.

"We would try to get a local marker, which would preserve the land," Rencurrel said. "Then the owners could build around it."

Greene said the city intends to consider annexing the Armentrout property.

"We want to be sure the historical value of the property and the site is not lost." he said. "I think that's our goal."

He said an annexation of the Armentrout land, if initiated by the city, would require that the city deliver services, such as police protection, within a specific amount of time. This would be different from the Metrovest annexation, which was initiated by the owner, wherein the owner and city negotiate the timing on the delivery of city services. Armentrout could not be reached for comment.

The Armentrout property has been a sportsman's club since the 1880s and is currently leased by the Silver Lake Gun Club. Greene said future homeowners in the area adjacent to the gun club would probably complain about it to the City Council.

"I'm sure we're going to wind up with the need to consider annexation," Greene said. "Once people start living in there, they will be concerned about the use of the property as a gun range. My impression is that we'll take it up in the not too distant future."

Metrovest owner Jim Salim said he was not concerned about noise from the gun club even though it is adjacent to a residential development where Salim estimates the average home will cost $800,000. He said that is largely because shooting occurs during daytime hours.

Monday night, two residents spoke against the annexation of Salim's property during the second of two public hearings on the issue.