Edinburg Council Approves Major Rezoning Near Alberta Road After Extended Traffic Infrastructure Discussion, Recognizes Elder Abuse Awareness Month and Dance Ensemble Champions

Edinburg City Council, Rezoning, Traffic Infrastructure, Elder Abuse Awareness, Conceptos Dance Ensemble, MedCare EMS, Edinburg TX

Arnoldo Mata

Edinburg TX – The Edinburg City Council held its regular meeting Tuesday, June 16, 2026, with the most extensive discussion centering on a rezoning request tied to a $25 million residential and commercial development near Alberta Road, where a resident’s concerns about traffic and intersection safety prompted city staff to detail planned infrastructure improvements.

The council also proclaimed Elder Abuse Awareness Month, recognized a championship dance ensemble, heard a mid-year EMS report, and approved agreements with MedCare EMS and Edinburg CISD following executive session.

Rezoning Approved After Extended Traffic and Infrastructure Discussion

The council took up three related public hearing items together, all involving rezoning requests from the same developer for the same tract of land along Alberta Road and Owassa Road. Luis Mendez of Sames Engineering, representing the property owner, told the council the development would include both residential and commercial components, with commercial uses concentrated along Alberta Road and Owassa Road. “We’re meeting the minimum requirements for residential, commercial as well,” Mendez said. “There’s no variances.”

A resident identified as Mr. Morin asked the council to table the rezoning, saying the surrounding infrastructure is not ready for the additional traffic the development would generate. He pointed to a long-requested traffic light at Alberta Road and Veterans Road that has been approved by TxDOT but remains unfunded, as well as a four-way stop at Owassa Road that has gone without improvement for more than 30 years despite spanning four government entities: the City of Edinburg, the City of Pharr, Hidalgo County Precinct 2, and Precinct 4. “I believe it’s good that the project is gonna happen. I’m sure it’s gonna bring a lot of income to the City of Edinburg,” Morin said. “But I believe that this should still be tabled until we get those answers before we can rezone, and pretty much then we as citizens won’t have any say so after that.” He added, “What is the city going to do infrastructure-wise? How are you gonna grow first? Or are we gonna let them develop, and then we’ll figure about the rest?”

Assistant City Manager Tom Reyna told the council the city has already completed a traffic study and received TxDOT approval for a signal at Alberta and Veterans, and is now waiting on funding, which could come through a state safety grant or the city’s capital improvement plan. “This is one of the programs that we did apply for our safety grant through TxDOT for the intersection,” Brana said. “There is a good chance that we will get funded for this year, but we know how long that takes.” On Owassa Road, Reyna said the city currently has no jurisdiction or right-of-way, as that segment belongs to the City of Pharr and Hidalgo County Precinct 4, though the city is working with those entities on a multi-party improvement agreement. “If we had some right of way in that area, it would be wonderful for us so that we can make those improvements,” Brana said.

Mayor Omar Ochoa noted the city has no authority to even install a stop sign at the Owassa intersection in question. “We literally have zero jurisdiction on that intersection,” Ochoa said, while expressing support for pushing the four-way stop improvement forward in partnership with county officials. “Commissioner Torres is great. She’s a wonderful advocate for the community, and I think we really should team up with them to try to push this four-way stop,” Ochoa said.

Councilmember Daniel “Dan” Diaz pressed for further detail on planned upgrades, prompting Reyna to confirm the development would include its own drainage system, detention ponds, and extensions of water and sewer lines, along with a dedicated right-of-way along Owassa Road to support future road widening. “They’re adding their own drainage, their own retention ponds. They’re extending water. They’re extending sewer, all of that area,” Reyna said. Reyna also confirmed the city has finalized property acquisition for a new detention pond at Alberta and Veterans Road, with construction bidding expected by the end of summer or early fall and a future trail planned for the site, similar to the existing Chapin Pond Trail.

Mendez said the project’s total cost is approximately $25 million. “Construction should be around nine million, ten million, and so on,” he said, adding that additional impact fees and tapping fees would push the total higher. Mendez described the developer’s vision for the community beyond infrastructure. “He wants a nice community, not so crowded, enough for people to enjoy the community, the background,” Mendez said, noting plans for a walking trail, a park, and a roundabout near the commercial section designed in part as a visual landmark. “It’s gonna be probably the first roundabout that Edinburg is gonna be proposing,” he said.

The council voted to suspend the rules to allow further discussion before approving the rezoning. One council member told Morin the additional tax revenue generated by the development could help push the long-requested infrastructure improvements forward. “Now that there’s gonna be a development, maybe we could hopefully get everybody on board and push to fast-track it,” the council member said, while acknowledging a similar signal project elsewhere in the city took three years from initial approval. Mayor Ochoa added, “I personally am very committed to getting a light at that intersection, because I have recognized for years how important it is to get one out there.” The council then voted to approve all three rezoning items.

Proclamations

The council proclaimed June 2026 as Elder Abuse Awareness Month at the request of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The proclamation noted there were more than 125,382 reports of abuse of older adults and people with disabilities in Texas in 2025, and that such abuse remains significantly underreported due to social stigma, embarrassment, and fear. A representative from the department’s Adult Protective Services program thanked first responders and judicial partners for their continued support. “It is through this collaboration that we are forming public and private partnerships to identify where stronger support is needed,” the representative said. Mayor Ochoa noted the city offers daily senior programming at the El Dulce Recreation Center from 8 a.m. to noon and pointed to Edinburg’s recent recognition by Investopedia as a top 100 U.S. retirement destination.

The council also recognized the City of Edinburg Conceptos Dance Ensemble for winning multiple categories at the 2026 South Texas College State Dance Competition in McAllen, held April 16 through 18. The 22-member team competed against more than 900 routines and 67 other teams from across the state and beyond, earning first place honors in Pro-Am Flamenco, Solo Duet, Adult Veracruz Duet, and Pro-Am Clogging, second place in Adult Tamaulipas, Pro-Am Adult Veracruz, and Pro-Am Michoacan, and a first, second, and third place sweep in Pro-Am Large Group. Library and Cultural Arts Director Letty Leja praised the team’s broader impact. “More than awards, they are also representing Edinburg with discipline, pride, and excellence,” Leja said, noting several alumni of the 15-year-old program have gone on to careers in dance instruction across the region. Mayor Ochoa added, “Edinburg is a place for everybody, and especially a place that loves art, and we’re really happy that Conceptos is here and continues to be very successful.”

Public Comments

Brittany Sanchez, director of membership for the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, spoke in support of an upcoming agenda item related to Texas Cook’Em High Steaks, noting the event is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. “This major quality of life event attracts more than ten thousand attendees to Ebony Hills Golf Course and has become a cherished Fourth of July tradition for residents and visitors alike,” Sanchez said. “We are grateful for the continued partnership and support of the City of Edinburg and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, our sponsors, and the many businesses and volunteers who help make this event possible.”

Fern McClarty raised concerns about the city’s finances and a proposed $275 million bond, arguing that the city’s existing $9 million annual bond payment would rise to approximately $15.7 million a year under the proposal. “Property owners are just getting over paying their taxes,” McCurdy said. “The median household in Edinburg is $57,568. The sad fact is most people do not need more, more people, more prosperity. I recommend that you start with what the people can afford rather than what you think.” She also asked city engineering staff to explain two infrastructure items on the agenda related to drainage near Ebony Hills and a pump station project tied to the 2018 flooding on Chapin.

Leonardo Tremaris, a resident of the University Village neighborhood near Jackson and McColl, described an ongoing conflict with the city’s mowing crew after he planted trees along a utility easement that the city had previously maintained. He said the mowing crew has since stopped servicing the area entirely, leaving grass more than two feet tall. “This is now a major concern for my community because long grass under power lines can become a fire hazard. It also provides a breeding spot for mosquitoes and rats, making a health hazard for community members,” Tremaris said. He offered a compromise to allow both projects to continue. “I am willing to make garden beds for the trees filled with mulch and mow areas around the trees to make the crew not have to navigate in between the young trees,” Tremaris said. “I believe that at the time that I took the right measures to not create any problems, but if it cannot continue, I’m willing to abandon the project altogether for the well-being of my community.”

Daniel Tuttle, interim director for MedCare EMS, presented a mid-year report showing the agency responded to 4,683 calls in Edinburg between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2026, with an average response time of six minutes and 34 seconds, well under the city’s contractual 12-minute requirement. “We’re trying to do a better job at being more transparent and providing you all with this information so that you guys know exactly how we’re doing in your city,” Tuttle said. He said the agency has handled up to 11 concurrent active calls at a time while still averaging an eight-minute response, and noted general medical sickness calls were the most common call type, followed by traffic collisions, falls, breathing problems, and chest pains. Tuttle also said the agency is developing a community paramedicine partnership with the fire department after identifying addresses that generate frequent repeat calls. “One specific address did reach out to us ninety-three times in the hundred and fifty day period,” Tuttle said.

Mayor’s Report and City Highlights

Mayor Ochoa thanked city staff for their emergency response to recent heavy rains, noting forecasts shifted rapidly from low to high flood risk, with projections of up to 15 inches of rain in a single day. “Even though this happened very suddenly, very quickly, public utilities, public works, our utilities, our fire department, our police department, our city management, everybody jumped in and really got our emergency management plans together in a hurry,” Ochoa said, also crediting the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District for offering school buses if needed. He encouraged residents to report any flooding or drainage issues through the city’s 311 system. “We want to be data-driven. We want to know in an event like this, where it didn’t get as bad as it could have been, where were the spots in town that we need to have an eye out for next time,” Ochoa said.

Diaz echoed the mayor’s praise for city crews. “In emergency situations, people don’t see all the work. Public works, they are first and last responders,” the council member said. “Thank you for blocking off those streets that we’ve identified. I saw one particular hotspot. Just smiled as I drove by the cones, knowing that we were keeping the residents from driving through some of those areas.”

Ochoa also highlighted upcoming community events, including a Daddy and Me Father’s Day event at the Edinburg Municipal Pool, the continuing summer concert series at Promenade Park, and the Texas Cook’Em Fourth of July celebration at Ebony Hills Golf Course, which will include a 5K run, live music, a cook-off competition, a kids zone, and fireworks as part of the city’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Routine Items and Consent Agenda

The council approved a slate of routine public hearing items that had received unanimous recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission with no public opposition.

On the consent agenda, City Engineer Mardoqueo Hinojosa explained two related infrastructure items at a council member’s request. One item authorizes a $500,000 planning grant application, with the city providing a $125,000 match, to design drainage improvements for the Ebony Terrace No. 2, the Meadows Golf Crest Estates, and Sleepy Hollow subdivisions southwest of Ebony Hills Golf Course. “This would get the design and let us know exactly what we need and how we need to phase it to get it funded,” Hinojosa said.

The second item modifies an agreement with the General Land Office and a related resolution for the Chapin pump station project, which is already under construction. Hinojosa said the pumps will allow Chapin Pond to be filled beyond its current gravity-fed capacity. “Right now the project is working through gravity, in that we have a 72-inch line that goes into the pond, and we can only fill the pond up to the level of the pipe,” Hinojosa said. “With the pumping, now we can fully pump to the full capacity whenever there’s a major storm.” He said the project carries a total cost of approximately $1.4 million, with roughly $1 million covered by grant funding, and added that the improvement provides relief for the area south of Chapin Road and east of Sugar Road, including near the university. The council approved the full consent agenda.

Executive Session Actions

Following executive session, the council approved two items on the recommendation of the city attorney. The council authorized the city manager to execute an agreement with MedCare EMS Inc. for ambulance services, and separately authorized the city manager to execute an interlocal agreement between the City of Edinburg and the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District for Fountain Park.