HARLINGEN — A city park is getting bigger — thanks to a citizen.
City commissioners have approved a resolution accepting about 25.4 acres being donated by Maxine Pace Elkins, a Harlingen resident.
The city plans to use the land along New Hampshire Street to expand adjoining Arroyo Park, Javier Mendez, the city’s parks director, said.
Mendez said the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department has granted the city’s request to use the land for its parks system.
New Hampshire divides property into a 23.4-acre tract along Arroyo Park’s northern boundary and a .94-acre tract on the other side of the street.
“It adjoins Arroyo Park so we’ll be able to expand in the future,” Mendez said.
Mendez said the land will extend resident’s access to the Arroyo Colorado Hike and Bike Trail, which runs along the park.
“It abuts the Arroyo so they can connect to the Arroyo trail,” he said.
Crews will clear the land to open it to the public, Mendez said.
Mendez said he wants to preserve much of the land’s native vegetation.
“For the most part, we’re going to leave it as it is — a native area,” he said.
