Henderson Road Project Becomes Focus at City Hall

Residents Voice Concern Over Timeliness of Projects

by Tony Vindell/LFN

Discussion became a little heated inside Los Fresnos City Hall as the municipality held its first meeting of 2019.

Several residents in attendance demanded prompt action regarding projects the city is either working on or planning to tackle later on.

One topic addressed a proposed project to widen Henderson Road. Another dealt with a plan the city has to increase water and sewer rates. A third concerned a proposal to cover an irrigation canal to control flood waters.

James Keillor, a former city mayor, said the city needs to do something about Henderson Road before another fatality happens on the narrow road.

He said two major accidents happened there and warned the council that something might happen again if no action is taken soon.

“This is a 30 year old problem and two deaths have been reported on Henderson Road,“ Keillor said. “Our goal is to get this project going and would like the city to start June.”

He said he has spoken to residents living along the road from FM 1847 to Old Alice Road and has been looking at vehicular and pedestrian crossings along the 1 mile thoroughfare.

‘We need to fix these two crossings,” he said, referring to the narrow stretches over a resaca. “You could do these projects in phases.”

Keillor suggested to have a sidewalk on the south side of the road instead of two so the money saved on a second sidewalk could be put into something else.

But several residents, including Roque Villafranca, said a sidewalk on both sides of the road would be better for safety reasons.

As the discussion went on, City Manager Mark Milum told Keillor the city has been working on the project.

He also said the city did not procure money or an engineer for the project until 2017.

Milum said the two crossings will be widened and that sidewalks will be built over the Resaca.

Some council members said it would be nice if the residents of Henderson Road get together and grant easements to the city so the project moves at a faster speed.

Working on a project like the one planned on Henderson Road requires a lot of work and planning as well.

The cost of the project is one aspect. Getting governmental regulations approved is another one.

The council then approved setting a timetable for the project and to hold a workshop with local residents so they can learn more about it.