Edinburg council approves rezoning of 3.056-acre parcel near McCall to townhome district

The Edinburg City Council on July 7 approved a rezoning request for a 3.056-acre property at 218698 Hetfield Drive, changing its designation from commercial general to residential urban and townhome. The applicant, represented by Marlon Garza of Melden & Hunt, told council the lot is narrow and screened by an existing plaza fronting McCall Drive and is difficult to develop for standard commercial frontage.

"We are trying to rezone this property from general commercial to residential urban and townhome," Marlon Garza said, explaining constraints including an existing waterline and the parcel's shape. Planning & Zoning Director Jaime Macedo told council that staff recommended denial because the city's future land use map calls for commercial on this property, noting that the property borders commercially zoned land to the south and suburban residential to the north.

"Staff did vote or recommend against it only because the property to the south is also commercial," Macedo said. The Planning & Zoning Commission, however, had approved the applicant's request prior to the council meeting. After brief council discussion on site visibility and a presented plat showing approximately 27 townhome units, a motion to approve passed; council members raised hands in favor and no opposition was recorded on the audio record.

The approval modifies the parcel's zoning designation to allow attached townhome development; staff noted potential utility rerouting and that variances to the final plat may still be required as engineering work continues.