Commission approves engineering procurement for Arroyo Colorado trail Phase 3 amid residents’ easement concerns

The Harlingen City Commission voted Feb. 24 to authorize staff to negotiate a contract for engineering services to complete design and environmental permitting for Phase 3 of the Arroyo Colorado hike‑and‑bike trail, a planning step that staff and the consultant said is intended to identify an alignment, impacts and rights‑of‑way before any construction decisions.

The commission’s action approves moving forward with professional services under a Transportation Alternatives (TASA) planning grant that covers conceptual design for a roughly 1.1‑mile link between McKelvey Park and Hugh Ramsey/McCulloch Park. City staff said the grant award total is $176,568 after the city received additional MPO‑allocated funds; the city must provide the required local match.

Why it matters: Phase 3 aims to connect two existing recreation corridors and close a gap in Harlingen’s Arroyo trail network. Commissioners and residents agreed the study is needed to determine whether the trail can be routed inside the Arroyo floodway, how much of any adjacent private property is affected and whether the city would need licenses or easements from the International Boundary and Water Commission or private owners.

What staff told the commission

- Staff said the TASA grant and the engineering procurement are for planning and preliminary design only, not construction. The scope was described as technical studies, alternative alignments, environmental permitting and coordination with agencies including the IBWC.

- Special Projects Director Anna Hernandez briefed the commission on a multi‑year procurement timeline. She said the project had been through an initial selection process in 2023, but the MPO required reprocurement under updated TASA procurement rules; the city reissued the RFQ and followed updated procedures to reselect a firm.

- Hernandez and Mayor Norma Sepulveda emphasized that the planning phase would explicitly evaluate how much of the Arroyo corridor is within IBWC jurisdiction and whether private property is implicated. If the study shows private‑property impacts or other constraints, the commission will have the information to decide whether to proceed to construction planning.

Residents’ concerns and legal context

Some residents who came to the meeting and a commissioner representing the neighborhood expressed concern about possible encroachment on privately held land, loss of privacy and late‑night access by nonresidents. Staff said the planning process is specifically intended to answer those questions and to test alignment options that avoid or minimize intrusion into existing yards. The presentation also cited court and state guidance on public‑space camping and noted the Arroyo corridor’s federal and state oversight.

Commission direction and next steps

The commission approved negotiations with the top‑ranked firm and authorized staff to complete the grant scope. Commissioners asked staff to return with the planning firm’s scope, an estimated budget for the study phase, and a public outreach plan for residents who live adjacent to the Arroyo alignment options. The city reiterated that the item funds design/permitting rather than construction and that any future acquisition or construction would require additional approvals.

Ending

Commissioners said the project responds to long‑standing city plans that identify the Arroyo network as high priority for active‑transportation and recreation. Several commissioners said they preferred proceeding with a careful planning study that can show facts and options instead of halting work at an early stage.