Planning commission approves rezoning for townhouses on East Ridge Road

Pharr — The Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 19 approved a rezoning request from Out Auto Diagnostic Center LLC to change a 3.79‑acre tract in the 900 block of East Ridge Road from single‑family residential (R‑1) to townhouse residential (RTH) to permit townhouse development, City Planner I Joanna Villareal said.

Villareal told commissioners the property, described as Lot 207 of Kelly Farm Subdivision in Hidalgo County, is designated for residential use in the city’s land‑use plan and meets the area and access requirements for townhouses. “Development Services is recommending approval of the zoning from single‑family residential district to townhouse residential district,” Villareal said. Staff reported that 29 letters were mailed to surrounding property owners within a 200‑foot radius on Dec. 26, 2025, and a legal notice ran Dec. 17; Villareal said the city received no written responses.

Applicant representatives showed model pictures during the hearing and reiterated that proposed units were intended for owner occupancy; no members of the public registered to speak. After the public hearing was closed and no substantive board discussion was recorded, a commissioner moved to approve the rezoning; the motion passed on a voice vote.

The city’s staff presentation included the legal description and map book references for the parcel and noted adjacency to agricultural/open space zoning and other residential districts. The approval is preliminary to any required site‑plan, building‑permit or subdivision processes and is conditioned on compliance with all applicable city ordinances and development standards. The commission did not record individual roll‑call votes in the transcript; the approval was announced as carried by voice vote.