At least three residents of a South McAllen neighborhood are opposing a duplex development. They say it could worsen existing traffic problems. At a city hall meeting on Monday, the City Commission moved to approve the rezoning, and one resident, Mario Quintanilla, spoke against parts of the plan.
The rezoned area includes six properties along South 18th Street, near Newport Street and Bicentennial Boulevard. Those properties were already zoned for residential development under the city's older development code. Quintanilla said the area has been zoned for duplex development for decades. The commission has been rezoning properties citywide to comply with the updated Unified Development Code.
Quintanilla said his main concern is a plan to use the alley next to his home as an entrance and exit. He said he worries about traffic and safety on nearby 17th Street, where he has seen ambulances, school buses and mail vehicles struggle to pass. He also asked where visitors would park and whether overflow parking would spill onto neighborhood streets. He did not ask that the project be stopped. He asked the commission to explore alternatives that would reduce the impact on existing residents.