Harlingen commissioners leave Horseshoe Point subdivision variance on table after residents raise traffic and flooding concerns

The Harlingen City Commission on Monday left on the table a requested variance that would permit the proposed Horseshoe Point subdivision to have a single entrance rather than the two entrances required by city code, after multiple residents raised safety, traffic and drainage concerns.

Residents living near the proposed development told the commission the plan for about 390 homes with lot sizes reported to range from roughly 2,300 to 10,200 square feet would overload Morris Road and local drainage infrastructure. The commission did not vote on the variance and directed staff to consider a public workshop, traffic study and further outreach to answer questions raised by neighbors.

The item drew several speakers during the citizens’ communication period. Kate Holt, a Waters Edge subdivision resident, said neighbors within 200 feet of the project were not notified and argued the density would change the neighborhood character. “With lot sizes that small, on-street parking will become the norm,” Holt said, adding that a single choke point would create “safety issues for residents and a serious challenge for emergency vehicles.”

Diana Padilla, who lives on Morris Road, asked who would pay to expand Morris Road and urged the commission to require retention ponds and fuller drainage evaluation if the project proceeds. “If this design for the subdivision happens and the ditch goes behind their home, it also goes behind our property and is going to take more land from our property,” Padilla said.

Alice Yuri Becerra, a family nurse practitioner who lives on White Oak, recalled flooding in March and said the proposed development “would funnel” traffic through one access point and increase runoff into neighborhoods already affected by heavy rains. Tom Hussian and other speakers described existing heavy use of Morris Road and said a single means of egress for hundreds of homes could impede emergency response.

Commission discussion focused on process and next steps rather than a vote on the variance. One commissioner asked staff and the developer to pursue a traffic study and recommended a public workshop where residents, staff, engineers and the developer could “hammer things out.” Mayor Pro Tem Ford Kinsley withdrew a motion to take the matter off the table; as a result the item remains tabled pending additional study and public engagement.

The commission also noted that one possible third connection for the subdivision depended on a property currently in litigation, and several speakers and commissioners called reliance on that uncertain option unsound planning. Multiple speakers cited the March flooding and historic stormwater concerns when urging more detailed drainage analysis before any variance or approvals are granted.

The commission did not adopt policy changes at the meeting; it asked staff to coordinate further study, to explore a traffic analysis and to schedule a public workshop so residents can provide input and staff can present technical findings.

Officials and residents may continue to submit materials to planning staff as the item is revisited. The commission did not set a date for a workshop at the meeting.