Fort Worth City Council sides with neighborhood, blocks Las Vegas Trail area hotel

The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously to block the development of a proposed Best Western in the Las Vegas Trail area.

District 3 council member Michael Crain said the neighborhood doesn’t need another motel.

In an interview with the Star-Telegram before the meeting, hotel developer Chetal Petal said the City Council was preventing investment by blocking development in the community.

But Crain said the recently approved public improvement district in the area will bring $300,000 yearly for safety improvements and community investment.

Crain took time at the beginning of the meeting to recognize business and community leaders in the Las Vegas Trail area who worked to get the Public Improvement District established.

Petal owns the Americas Best Value Inn at 8345 West Freeway. He said his planned 65 room Best Western Hotel was being unfairly maligned because of its proximity to the former Knights Inn.

The city filed a nuisance abatement lawsuit against the Knights Inn in 2017 over code violations. The court ordered the owners to crack down on criminal activity, hire security, fix lighting and perimeter fencing. The city dropped its lawsuit after the owner complied with court orders for several months, according to an email from the city.