Commission approves voluntary annexation and PD zoning for Horseshoe Lakes area on first reading; developers commit to drainage and sewer upgrades

After a public hearing with more than a dozen residents speaking, the Harlingen City Commission voted to approve on first reading a voluntary annexation and planned‑development (PD) zoning request affecting approximately 35.754 acres south of Morris Road (the applicant described a broader 90‑acre master plan). The PD permits internal street dimensions (50‑foot right‑of‑way with 32‑foot paved widths) and allows a subset of lots in the proposed master plan to be below the city’s standard 6,000‑square‑foot lot size.

The developer, Mario Reyna of Melden & Hunt, described a phased, mixed product plan of approximately 355 lots with three product types — “entry,” “move‑up” and “estate” — and presented comparables (including Paso Real) as evidence that 5,000–6,000‑square‑foot lot sizes can support two‑car garages and marketable houses. The developer and Harlingen Water Works (utility engineer Gabriel Trevino) presented a signed cost‑share/service agreement to fund a lift‑station upgrade (developer contribution roughly $700,000 toward an estimated $1.1 million facility) and drainage improvements including detention and outfall enhancements; the developer committed to completing key drainage work before home construction in affected phases.

City staff, fire and engineering engaged applicants on public‑safety access, phasing and required conditions. Fire staff said they can provide protection to the phased development; engineering described planned ditch expansions and installation of larger culverts under Morris Road that would route runoff to the Horseshoe resaca; Harlingen Water Works said the lift‑station work would relieve capacity constraints downstream and enable future growth while reducing surcharge risk on the sanitary network.

Several nearby residents urged denial or delay, citing density, single‑point access concerns, use of variances, potential impacts on existing neighborhood drainage, and the risk that denial would push development into unregulated county jurisdiction. City staff and the mayor noted the trade‑off: approving annexation and PD allows the city to require infrastructure and enter cost‑share agreements, while denial could leave the area subject to county rules (where development could occur with fewer local requirements). The motion to approve passed by majority vote. Commissioners directed staff to memorialize conditions to ensure drainage and sewer upgrades occur in tandem with platting and building permits.