Del Rio council approves Main Street laundromat rezoning, hears dog attack plea
Council cleared a Main Street laundromat rezoning and heard sisters plead for answers after their dog died from a pit bull attack.
All seven council members were present when the board voted 7-0 to rezone 600-602 N. Main St. from multiple-family residential to local commercial. Gabriel De La Paz, representing De La Paz Cleaning and Rental Service LLC, wants to build a laundromat on the property as part of a construction plan estimated at about $300,000.
The city planner recommended against the change because local commercial zoning did not line up with the adopted future land-use plan. The Del Rio Planning and Zoning Commission had already backed the request 2-1, and the council sided with that recommendation after hearing support from local residents and a former council member.
During citizen comments, sisters Cynthia Williams and Mary Williams told council members that their small dog had been attacked by a neighbor’s pit bull running at large and later died despite emergency veterinary care in San Antonio. They questioned why the animal had been returned to its owner after quarantine.
Mayor Al Arreola said interim city manager Manuel Chavez would follow up on the complaint. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822 allows a dangerous-dog owner to be required to register the animal, keep it restrained or securely enclosed, carry at least $100,000 in liability coverage and comply with local restrictions.
Former Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. also used the public-comment period to push for broader civic participation, saying the city should make sure residents who want to serve are placed on committees. He also asked for a new chair to be appointed to the San Felipe Golf Course Commission.
In his announcements, Arreola said he was glad the long campaign for re-election was over and said city staff had recently held a session ahead of the Ports-to-Plains conference coming to Del Rio later in the year. The Ports-to-Plains Alliance's 2026 annual conference will be held in Del Rio and Acuña and will focus on future Interstate funding, I-27 implementation and trade connectivity.
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