City Approves Zoning Change For Writers’ Retreat
Photo above: The proposed writers’ retreat is located at 2217 W Freddy Gonzalez Dr.
By Arnoldo Mata
Edinburg TX – South Texas writers may soon find a calm, peaceful place to explore their writing and craft in Edinburg. The Edinburg City Council approved a change of zoning that would allow the site to be used for certain commercial purposes.
Located at 2217 W Freddy Gonzalez Dr., Dr. Sylvia Sanchez Garza and her husband own the property that currently has a house and swimming pool. It is located next to the corner of W Freddy Gonzalez and S Jackson Rd.
Garza is an author whose children’s book “Cascarones” received several awards. As an educator, she has been a high school English teacher, a principal intern, and has served on the South Texas I.S.D. School Board for fourteen years.
“I know that the City of Edinburgh does a lot for the arts and the arts community, and we all appreciate it very much,” Dr. Garza said in speaking about her project to the City Council. “However, I’m here because I feel that there’s always room for improvement when it comes for literacy and the arts.”
“I am an advocate for literacy, education, and the arts. I am an author, and I am also the founder of the Mayor Joe V. Sanchez Memorial Book Festival. I am also a board member for the South Texas Literacy Coalition. I am also a board member for the South Texas Arts and Cultural. So I’m here because I’d like to have a place here in Edinburgh where creatives can gather and meet and be able to have a place where they can be inspired to write and have a place where they can just be together and showcase their work because I know a lot of these authors and it’s very difficult for us to meet.”
“I’m looking for a place that’s a home like environment where you can be comfortable as as a creative and you can have the background with gardens and you can be inspired with the beauty with the trees with the birds. And as a writer, that’s really important. And you can meet with others that are like minded and.”
“This house is just perfect. It’s got beautiful, huge trees. A big yard. The backyard is amazing. It’s beautiful, perfect, with big gardens. It’s just perfect. For these type of people, and this would be a place where it would be open to the entire community for all ages, and they could come, we could have programs, we could have workshops, we could have aspiring writers or artists could come, and they could grow from those who are already authors.”
According to the staff report, the property has a total frontage of 132 feet along West Freddy Gonzalez Drive and a lot depth of 495 feet for a total lot area of 1.5 acres (gross). The requested zoning designation is the Commercial, Neighborhood (CN) District. This district provides small neighborhood shopping opportunities and services in areas that are largely residential in use. Permitted uses are smaller-scale commercial businesses that, while auto-urban in nature, have buildings scaled to the surrounding residential area and more landscaping. The lot is currently occupied with a residential home and the applicant indicated the reason for the zone change request is to utilize the property for professional office space.
The property is currently zoned Residential, Suburban (RS) District, which is the primary low- density single-family residential district, intended to permit a wide range of single-family residential uses. Adjacent zoning is Residential, Primary (RP) District to the north and south, and Residential, Suburban (RS) District to the east and west. Surrounding land consists of residential uses. The future land use designation for this property is for Auto-Urban Uses.
Staff said they received no comments in favor and one comment against it. On January 9, 2025, the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended with a unanimous vote of 6-0 to approve the Comprehensive Plan Amendment and the Rezoning Request. Staff recommends denial of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment from Auto-Urban Uses to Neighborhood Commercial Uses and the Rezoning Request From Residential, Suburban (RS) District to Commercial, Neighborhood (CN) District based on adjacent zoning districts, surrounding land uses, and Future Land Use. If approved, the applicant will need to comply with all requirements during the permitting process including compliance with subdivision regulations, building/fire codes, fire protection, parking, landscape buffer-yards, solid waste services, utility, and other City requirements, as applicable.
After Garza’s presentation, the Council voted to approve the change.