Harlingen approves voluntary annexation and planned‑development for Horseshoe Lakes after debate over drainage and lot sizes

After a lengthy public hearing on Feb. 10, 2026, the Harlingen City Commission voted to approve a voluntary annexation and planned development (PD) zoning for the Horseshoe Lakes subdivision, a multi‑phase project the developer says will ultimately build about 355 single‑family lots.

Opponents from nearby neighborhoods told commissioners the plan will increase density, strain local roads and risk life‑safety access. Kaye Fultz, a longtime Water’s Edge resident, told the commission the developer’s materials showed “135 of the 358 lots, more than one third, are below the required 6,000 square feet,” and asked the council to deny the request and demand a plan that “reflects the vision of the surrounding neighborhoods.”

Developer Mario Reyna said the proposal mixes three home products — “entry,” “move up” and “estate” homes — and that examples from his Paso Real development show similar lot sizes and house designs are marketable and occupied. Reyna said the development will include private amenities and that a phase‑one buildout would start with drainage work “immediately” and complete initial detention improvements by July if annexation is approved.

Harlingen Waterworks and the utility engineer presented a cost‑sharing plan for wastewater infrastructure. Gabriel Trevino of Harlingen Waterworks said a proposed lift station would relieve a constrained 12‑inch surcharge line and help redirect flows, reducing sanitary sewer capacity risk. He said the utility’s share of the lift‑station cost would be about $700,000 of an estimated $1.1 million upgrade; the developer and others would provide additional funding.

City engineers said the developer has agreed to front several drainage improvements, including widening outfall pipes under Morris Road, adding conveyance to nearby resacas and clearing a proposed Horseshoe Lake area to serve as regional detention. City Engineer Robert Orlando said those drainage measures would “benefit White Oaks” and other flood‑prone neighborhoods and that the improvements would be done before vertical construction in the subdivision.

Commissioners debated the tradeoff of approving a PD with conditions versus leaving the property in county jurisdiction, where county rules would allow smaller lots and the city would have less ability to require shared infrastructure. Mayor Norma Sepulveda noted that rejecting the annexation would not stop development but would limit the city’s ability to require the drainage and sewer upgrades the commission sought.

After discussion, a motion to approve the annexation and PD zoning passed. The ordinance binds the annexed land to city regulations and allows deviations for internal street widths and a limited number of lots under 6,000 square feet as proposed in the PD. The developer committed to phased infrastructure work and to return to the city for required plats and construction approvals.

The commission set conditions to ensure engineering reviews at platting and to memorialize the cost‑sharing and sequencing of drainage and sewer work as part of the PD approval. The developer estimated the full buildout could produce roughly $140 million in taxable value over many years, with initial houses delivered gradually over an extended build‑out.

The ordinance and PD zoning were approved on first reading during the Feb. 10 meeting. The commission indicated subsequent plats, permits and construction inspections will be required to enforce the drainage and public‑safety commitments.