Pharr planners recommend rezoning 4.435-acre site for 96-unit multifamily development

The Pharr Planning and Zoning Commission on an uncontested vote recommended rezoning a 4.435-acre site at 104 West Polk Avenue from General Business District C to Residential Multifamily High Density (RMFHD) to allow development of a 96-unit apartment complex.

Laura Fonseca, Planner II for the City of Pharr, presented the application filed by Melden & Hunt Inc. on behalf of the Pharr Housing Authority and said the property is legally described as “4.435 acres, more or less, out of Lot 165 and all of Lot 2, Pharr Housing Authority Subdivision.” Fonseca said the parcel fronts West Polk Avenue and an 80-foot major collector and is generally designated for commercial use in the city’s land‑use plan. She told commissioners that 17 letters were mailed to surrounding property owners on April 25, 2025, and a legal notice published in the Advanced News Journal on April 23, 2025; staff received no responses to either notice. Fonseca also said, “And for the record, we don't have representation here.”

The commission’s staff report said RMFHD is intended to provide for medium- to high-density residential development in areas where infrastructure and services are available, and that the property meets area requirements and has adequate ingress and egress. Development Services recommended approval subject to compliance with city ordinances and department requirements. No members of the public from the affected area signed up to speak during the public hearing, and no board member questions or conditions were recorded before the motion to approve.

The item will be forwarded to the Pharr City Commission for final action; staff stated the city commission agenda date is May 19, 2025, at 4 p.m. The Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation does not itself rezone the property; final rezoning requires city commission approval and any conditions the commission may add.