The Harlingen City Commission declined to annex and zone a 35.754-acre tract south of Morris Road after heated debate over proposed reduced lot sizes, drainage and access.

Developer representatives said the project includes a mix of lot sizes with an average of about 7,800 square feet and committed to infrastructure improvements. Mario Reyna (developer representative) told the commission the subdivision’s buildout would be phased over about 9–11 years and that the developer estimates infrastructure costs including a lift station (~$1.1 million), a private park (~$1.7 million) and detention between $1 million and $2 million. He said some lot products would range from about 1,500 to 3,000 square feet of house area on smaller parcels and that 15% of product would be larger lots in the 10,000-square-foot range.

Commissioners and nearby residents raised multiple concerns: the concession of many lots below the 6,000-square-foot standard could set a precedent for future developers; fewer/larger lots nearby would be mismatched with smaller lots in the proposed project; emergency vehicle access and street widths were questioned though the fire department and city engineer said minimum widths comply and that HOA rules might limit on-street parking; and drainage and the need for additional access points (Morris Road improvements and additional future connections) were discussed.

Staff and the city engineer said the developer had submitted a traffic study and drainage reports that met current standards; staff reiterated construction would not proceed until required lift-station and detention infrastructure were in place. Several commissioners nonetheless expressed concern about the mix of lot sizes and the potential long-term effects on neighborhoods. The motion to approve annexation and PD zoning failed.