The Brownsville City Commission on Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing the negotiation and execution of a cooperation agreement among the city, the Cameron County Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of the City of Brownsville for an affordable housing development.
Approved as a consent agenda item, the Avanti Legacy Lyon development will be a “high-quality affordable apartment community for active, independent-living, seniors who are dependent on Social Security or are attempting to segue into retirement on a fixed income,” according to the memorandum from Deborah Losoya, Housing Policy Planning Analyst, to Mayor John Cowen and the city commissioners.
The Avanti Legacy Lyon development will be constructed at the northeast corner of Laredo Road and Basque Drive.
Proposed rents “will range from $304 to $687 per month for a one-bedroom unit and $356 to $816 for a two-bedroom unit,” according to the agenda memo.
The Avanti Legacy del Sol will have 84 apartment homes.
The first floor of the site will be an “integrated single-story clubhouse/leasing facility” that will include a media room, an executive business center with free computers and a workroom connected to private offices, according to the memo.
Some of the amenities within the apartment homes include “Energy-Star rated appliances,” and each living room and bedroom will have cable, phone and internet connections.
The Community Housing and Economic Development Corp., a subsidiary of the Cameron County Housing Authority, partnered with Madhouse Development, a family-owned Hispanic business, for the development of the apartments.
During the public comment period, resident Julie Pedraza expressed concerns over persistent drainage issues in the Tradition Circle neighborhood.
Pedraza said several homes in Tradition Circle were severely flooded due to rainfall on Sept. 15.
“Despite numerous promises from the past City of Brownsville leadership, including multimillion-dollar drainage projects that were announced … no tangible improvements have been made to the area,” she said.
Pedraza said water has infiltrated the walls, floors and ceilings, weakening the neighborhood homes’ foundations and creating conditions for potential mold growth.
She said belongings, including furniture and appliances, have been destroyed or severely impacted.
“We need long-term solutions instead of solutions that are just short-term, makeshifts,” she said.
Pedraza said the previous city manager promised improvements and engineering.
In other business, the commission conducted a public hearing and approved a specific-use permit in a residential estate zoning designation for establishment of a battery storage facility at 6505 Emilia Lane.
Martin Vega, senior planner for Planning & Redevelopment Services, said the property will store new battery packs that will be connected to the energy grid. The batteries will supply the grid at peak hours of energy use.
Chris Rose, development manager for Aggreko Energy Transition Solutions, the company that requested the permit, said the fire department has an emergency response plan. The facility will have an aerosol fire suppression system that detects combustible gases and an 8-foot opaque wall surrounding the property.
During the public hearing, Commissioner At-large “B” Rose Gowen wanted assurance that nothing in the facility will harm residents in the area unless a fire occurs.
Chris Rose replied yes.
He said the facility will be unmanned and remotely monitored 24/7.
Chris Rose said if the on-site technician is delayed more than four hours, that is when the fire department will respond.
District 1 Commissioner Bryan Martinez asked if there are any similar facilities in the city.
Vega said the facility would be the first established.
Mayor John Cowen inquired about the noise level that will emit from the facility.
Chris Rose said the sound will be “like office noise.”
District 3 Commissioner Roy De los Santos motioned to approve the request and Martinez seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
