Harlingen' The City Commission on workshop and regular meeting votes approved a variance to the city's subdivision ordinance that will let the proposed Horseshoe Point subdivision move forward with reduced spacing between two Morris Road access points, provided the developer annexes the property and completes required drainage and sewer infrastructure before platting home sites.

Planning staff told commissioners the proposed 90'acre master plan would include roughly 350'390 single'family lots in four phases, about 9.2 acres of parkland and two proposed access points on Morris Road spaced about 200 feet apart (the ordinance requires a spacing of roughly 494 feet for this site). Staff said the property has limited frontage, existing surrounding residential development on the east and south, and Horseshoe Lake on the west, and recommended conditional approval with mitigation measures including widening an internal street, and two stub connections to adjacent parcels.

City Engineer Roberto Fernandez described a drainage plan that would convert Horseshoe Lake (currently owned by Irrigation District No. 1) into a regional detention facility, add larger culverts beneath Morris Road and connect ditches to increase storage and reduce street flooding in White Oak. Fernandez said the linked basin would hold an estimated 480 acre'feet of storage once connected'"about eight times the size of Lozano Pond," and that early phases of the project would clear and regrade the lake and build the necessary crossings. He said many of those drainage improvements would be built by the developer as part of subdivision requirements.

Developer representatives said a lift station must be built and operational before recording the first phase. Mario Reyna of Melden & Hunt, representing developer Rhodes/Esperanza Homes, said the planned lift station is expected to serve roughly a 300'acre service area and preliminary cost estimates are in the $900,000 to $1,000,000 range. Reyna said the average lot size as presented is about 7,180 square feet and that home sizes would generally range from about 1,700 to 4,000 square feet; he added the developer is allocating about $1.7 million to create and privately maintain a roughly 10'acre park that would be open to the public.

Traffic consultant Oscar Garza (KCI) told the commission the traffic impact analysis showed the two critical Morris Road intersections did not meet TxDOT signal warrants even at full build-out; worst'case daily vehicle generation for 390 lots was estimated to be under the practical capacity of a two'lane facility, with peak hour trips split between east and west. Garza summarized: "a two'lane roadway'capacity is about 10,000 vehicles per day; with this development ... we're looking at less than 4,500 vehicles per day" (worst case for 390 lots).

The Harlingen Fire Marshal noted the proposal does not meet the literal two'access standard in the subdivision code but said the fire department believed the development could be provided "safe fire protection for future citizens" if the recommended street widening, hydrant placement and stub'out connections are implemented; the fire marshal recommended approval with those safety conditions.

Residents who spoke at the public comment portion urged caution. Kate Pope, a Water's Edge homeowner, said, "Morris Road is already overburdened. It's narrow, shoulderless and at times dangerous. Add 400 homes ... and you're looking at a crisis in the making." Other speakers worried that smaller, lower'priced lots adjacent to higher'value homes could lower appraisals and property values and emphasized prior drainage problems on White Oak that they said must be addressed before new construction.

After staff, engineers and the developer described conditions and mitigation, the commission voted to grant the variance conditioned on voluntary annexation and the standard infrastructure conditions to be enforced through the planned development (PDD), permitting and phasing process. The motion required legal review of annexation timing and conditions; staff and the developer said the annexation and service agreement language will be part of upcoming PDD and plat filings.

What the approval means and next steps

- The variance was granted for the master plan but will be effective only upon the voluntary annexation of the subject property and compliance with conditions (drainage improvements, sewer lift station and staged infrastructure prior to plat approval and construction).
- The developer and Harlingen Water Works said the lift station and drainage work will be required and are planned early in construction; developer representatives committed that drainage and sewer infrastructure will be installed prior to vertical construction.
- The city engineer and staff said the Horseshoe Lake detention conversion and pipe crossings are intended to provide regional relief and that some adjacent drainage improvements have been coordinated with Irrigation District No. 1.

Commissioners and staff said questions remain about the timing and phasing of annexation, the exact schedule for Morris Road widening and the ability of the city to assume maintenance responsibilities once annexed. Several commissioners urged staff to continue negotiating with Cameron County on right'of'way and to bring detailed road improvement plans back to the commission for decisions on funding and timing.

Quotes

"The average lot size as presented is 7,180 square feet," Mario Reyna, Melden & Hunt.

"...about 8 times the size of Lozano Pond," Roberto Fernandez, City Engineer, describing estimated capacity of Horseshoe Lake after improvements.

"A two'lane roadway'capacity is about 10,000 vehicles per day; with this development ... we're looking at less than 4,500 vehicles per day," Oscar Garza, traffic consultant (KCI).

"Morris Road is already overburdened ... Add 400 homes ... and you're looking at a crisis in the making," Kate Pope, Water's Edge resident.

Ending

The developer said it will bring a planned development district (PDD) ordinance and phased plats back to the city; staff and the developer said annexation language would be part of those filings and that construction of drainage and sewer infrastructure is expected before lots are recorded. The commission directed staff to return with any annexation or funding steps needed to implement road and drainage improvements required for the development.