Harlingen approves conditional variance for Horseshoe Point; developer to build lift station and expand detention

The Harlingen City Commission voted to grant a conditional variance on Oct. 28, 2025, allowing the proposed Horseshoe Point subdivision to proceed with a single active frontage on Morris Road so long as annexation and required infrastructure commitments are satisfied. The developer and city staff said the project will be built in phases and include a new lift station and regional detention work intended to reduce neighborhood flooding.

City engineering staff described plans to convert Horseshoe Lake — currently an irrigation-district resaca — into a regional detention facility. "This has been proposed to be converted as a regional detention facility," city engineer Roberto Fernandez said, and staff estimated the connected facility would provide about 480 acre-feet of storage, roughly eight times the capacity of the existing Lozano Pond.

Developer representatives said the subdivision will be built as a planned development and that sewer and drainage work will precede house construction. Mario Reyna, representing the development team, told the commission the company has a signed agreement with Harlingen Water Works to build a lift station and that "the lift station has to be in place prior to recording phase 1." Reyna said the lift station preliminary bids were in the high six figures and that the developer has allocated funding for park and drainage work, including a nearly 10-acre park with about $1.7 million set aside for construction.

Traffic and safety studies presented to the commission indicated the forecasted vehicle volumes for the subdivision would remain below thresholds that warrant traffic signals at the key intersections studied. "With this development, worst case scenario based on lots, 390 lots, we're looking at less than 4,500 vehicles per day," traffic consultant Oscar Garza said, adding the intersection service levels would remain in acceptable ranges.

The Harlingen Fire Marshal's Office reviewed code requirements for two access points and recommended approval with conditions after evaluating the proposed internal street widths and hydrant placement. "The fire department is confident that this development will have safe fire protection for future citizens and recommends approval of this variance," the fire marshal said.

Residents and neighbors opposed to the plan spoke during the public-comment period, raising concerns about drainage, traffic, home density, lot sizes and potential impacts on property values. Kate Holt, a Water's Edge resident, said similar nearby developments had small lots and safety issues, and she asked the commission to deny variances that would lower local standards. Opponents repeatedly pressed who would pay for off-site improvements and how annexation would be phased.

Commissioners framed the approved variance as conditional on annexation and the recorded planned-development (PDD) documents that will bind the developer to construct the lift station, meet drainage commitments and provide stub connections for future connectivity. The motion as stated tied the variance to annexation so the relief takes effect only when each phase is annexed into the city and when PDD/plat conditions are satisfied.

The commission also heard that initial buildout will be phased: staff said phase 1 would contain about 48 lots (the developer indicated phase-one activity could include roughly 28 homes by late 2027 under a multi-year build pace) and that full buildout is expected to take several years. Officials said infrastructure (drainage and sewer) must be constructed ahead of vertical development to reduce flooding risk and provide services.

The variance vote carried after debate; commissioners noted the unusual scale of applying a single-access variance to a project of this size and recorded both support and opposition among members during the voice vote. The developer, staff and consultants said they will return with more detailed PDD and plat materials, and the commission emphasized that subsequent approvals will enforce the infrastructure and connectivity commitments tied to the variance.

The commission adjourned after an executive session with no additional public actions.