Our Village

Annexation

Port Isabel Press on March 31st said this about the Oasis Development and Port Isabel’s annexation of Long Island property.
The Port Isabel City Commission had their second Annexation Public Hearing on March 29. David Evans, a representative for Oasis Development, gave a brief overview of what the annexation of Long Island Village will look like. Included in the plans is a restaurant, a marina and an event center.
“We’re going to do maybe like an outdoor event center so that we can bring country western bands and, you know, just fun stuff,” Evans said.
Evans also stated that they hope to start breaking ground early this summer. Many developers have come along but no project has ever begun on Long Island Village. “At the request of the city and the attorney, they said ‘Let’s lay low and make sure it’s going to be a done deal and legitimate so that we don’t have a bunch of disappointed people,’” he said.
“All we have left is the final stages of financing.” Evans said that the strongest opposition the annexation is facing has to do with the swing bridge which is the only way to go into and out of Long Island Village.
“I think there’s confusion there because the Long Island people have always thought they own the bridge, but the bridge is an independent entity,” he said. Evans said that the bridge is managed by a home owner’s association (HOA), but because Long Island Village also has an HOA, many of the residents believe it is their HOA that manages the bridge.
Mayor Joe E. Vega said that he is for the annexation because it will enhance the city. “I like the plans that they have in place in developing this project,” Vega said. “It’s going to bring a dynamic development to the city of Port Isabel. The more it gets developed; it’s going to bring more people to the city.”
Long Island Village resident Maria O. Ramos, who has lived there for almost nine years, was one of the citizens who spoke during the public hearing concerning the swing bridge. She said Garcia Street needs to be repaired and improved before more people begin to drive through and cause more traffic in the future. “As it is, they are fixing it all the time,” Ramos said. She also wondered, as many did that evening, which HOA was in charge of the bridge. We didn’t know if Long Island Village owned the whole bridge,” she said. “You see, we pay. Long Island Village people pay for the use of the bridge.”
Ramos questioned whether it would only be Long Island Village residents who would keep on paying for the use of the bridge or if the new visitors will be paying something as well. Long Island Village President Eddie Montalvo said that while the people of Long Island do not outright own the bridge they do pay for it. “There is a separate entity that actually owns the bridge,” said Montalvo, “and since we are the only developed properties we pay most all of the fees. Once there are more developers it is going to reduce the amounts that we pay.”
No action was taken at the meeting regarding the annexation, but the issue is set to be on the agenda for a meeting on April 12, and at that time, according to City Manager Ed Meza, it will be submitted for a vote.