Hi! I’m Nick Ford, I’m the Town’s Development Coordinator. I graduated from Westlake Academy Class of 2011 and received my bachelor’s degree for Construction Engineering at the University of North Texas.
I handle the intake of zoning, platting, and civil applications and disperse them out to our Town staff for review (also known as our Development Review Committee). In addition, if you have any questions about permits & application processes, zoning of a property, or development activity within the Town I can most definitely help you out.
I also administrate our online permitting system known as MyGov which has substantially increased our department’s efficiency and transparency with development in the Town. Subsequently, a large part of my job is to analyze and collect data of the Town to ensure we are meeting Comprehensive Plan goals, but also regionally to compare how we are performing with our neighboring cities. Most, if not all, of this data, is also included and available to the public via our Interactive Maps.
Furthermore, our website has a wealth of information such as processes, maps, and development activities that are updated on a consistent basis. Check out our landing page here!
Helping people out is why I got into public service, so please don’t hesitate to call (817-490-5742) or email me!
Questions I get range from potential developers or residents, current residents, or our curious neighbors.
- How do I submit my permit or application?
We are now a paper-free department! That’s right! We are online only! This is a long-time objective our department has been aiming for and with the advent of COVID-19 and social distancing measures, it only helped push our digital-only goal even sooner. Submitting for registrations, permits, and requesting inspections is all done online (inspections can also be requested via the inspection line, 817-490-5742, or by email).
- What is under construction over there?
Being a student as Westlake Academy, I’ve seen the town grow considerably. We’re still a small town, but we have our fair share of some vast projects in the region. Over the past five years, we have issued over 1,200 permits with a collective valuation of over a billion dollars. If you tell me the nearest street corners and what development the building you saw that is under construction, I can help you out and provide you with additional information on the building and development overall. In addition, our development activity map has a wealth of information on the status of construction projects throughout the town.
- Where can I find zoning for my property or property next to me?
Understandably, citizens and developers like to know what could potentially develop next to them or what they can do on their own property. Our zoning is complex in that we have a lot more Planned Development Districts than most cities, which typically have more straight styled zoning such as the “R-1”, “R-2”, “R-5”, or “O” districts that can be found on our zoning map as well. I can help you navigate and interpret our code of ordinances and help you find the right PD Ordinance if you are looking to live in or develop in subdivisions such as Vaquero, Granada, or Entrada!
