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Commission approves rezoning to allow apartment building at 9 S. 20th amid traffic, density concerns
Summary
The City Commission approved a rezoning request from R‑2 to R‑3 for property near Business 83 to allow more units than the site currently supports, prompting debate over density, traffic and property shape.
McALLEN, Texas — The McAllen City Commission voted May 27 to approve a rezoning request to change property on South 20th (addresses cited as 9 S. 20th and 13 S. 20th, south of Business 83) from R‑2 to R‑3, a change that would allow multiunit apartments on the site.
Why it matters: The rezoning shifts a parcel from lower‑density residential (R‑2) to R‑3, which allows apartment‑style development; commissioners debated the density and traffic implications for adjacent single‑family areas.
What the commission decided: Planning staff said the applicant’s rezoning request proposed 22 apartment units under R‑3 zoning; the Planning & Zoning Commission had voted to disapprove the request at its May hearing. The applicant, identified at the podium as Oscar Hernandez, said his preferred design would be a smaller 12‑unit layout but the application before the city sought greater density. After discussion about access, traffic queuing at the nearby intersection and the site’s irregular shape, a commissioner moved to approve the applicant’s request and the motion passed.
Details from the discussion: Planning staff explained that under the existing R‑2 rules the site could accommodate duplexes/fourplexes arranged under a single roof and that R‑3 would permit an apartment structure; staff and commissioners noted the lot’s shape and that vehicle access would run between 20th and 20th streets (with drive access from 20th and internal circulation affecting how many units fit). Commissioners raised concerns about traffic congestion and left‑turn queuing near Business 83, and a speaker said the item would require a supermajority of five votes to pass. The applicant said he believed 12 units would be his “best scenario” but described the proposal he brought forward as larger. Commissioners acknowledged the need for more affordable rental housing in parts of the city while weighing neighborhood traffic impacts.
What’s next: The rezoning was approved on the record; any building permits, site plan approvals and parking/layout reviews must follow the city’s standard permitting process.
