Written by Maricela Garza and Rafael Garza
This letter is being written to bring to light some of the issues the Gardendale Neighborhood Community is experiencing. Gardendale Neighborhood Association is asking for assistance, direction and the ability to proactively work together to address the mentioned concerns affecting our neighborhood areas.
The Gardendale Neighborhood Community has been seeing a continued increase in homeless foot traffic in our residential streets and more recently an increase in illegal dumping in our living areas. The illegal dumping is exacerbating the homeless traffic as they sift through the dumped items and scatter the mess on to streets and properties. It is as if businesses, surrounding non-profit agencies and even some of the community residents have become numb about reporting leaving the issue to become the norm for our living area.
As leaders of this community, we cannot turn a blind eye on this issues at hand as the matter will only worsen if left unattended. With the new development planned for Houston St & Frio with The Alamo Construction Community, the Cattleman Square area and Scobey’s, buildings, Gardendale Neighborhood Association is requesting we all be proactive to address these concerns.
Gardendale Neighborhood Association is requesting a meeting be set up with all those involved with regards to these concerns and also requesting to be included in any discussions that may inadvertently affect our community. The Gardendale Neighborhood Association is on board for growth and progress as long as it keeps the best interest and safety of the community in mind. As project developers request letters of endorsement and support, us leaders representing the community need to have a voice in the safety measures that need to be put in place as we are the affected community. As mentioned prior to developers interested in our community areas, while the new development areas are protected and cleaned out for the upcoming project areas to look presentable for their marketing, the communities are being overlooked and over-run with the homeless going deeper into the community areas and and residential homes.
We are looking for progress in the community area/ district that can be a benefit to all; not just the new projects. A prime example is that of a sign that was just captured in the McDonalds property on Houston St. The sign reads: NO SOLICITATION, NO LOITERING, NO TRESPASSING…..Persons found to be soliciting on McDonalds Property will be subjected to arrest. This is the kind of action the community would like to see in the community property areas particularly surrounding the Haven for Hope, GI Forum area and around the non-profit agencies not collaborating with the community and not complying with city guidelines.
Please also see additional attached attached pictures that depict some of what Gardendale Neighborhood Association and the community are living / seeing. Please remember, as leaders of this community, Gardendale Neighborhood Association serves as your eyes and ears for what is happening in the community areas you represent. Gardendale asks that you respond timely with a meeting set up to have our concerns heard so that our community does not become part of the forgotten as new development comes in to our areas.
Thank you,
Maricela Garza and Rafael Garza
Gardendale Neighborhood Association
WEHA Response to Gardendale’s concerns. Written by Carlos Gonzalez
Thank you Gardendale for being the eyes and conscience of city leadership and politics. Homelessness is a city and county wide issue and the Mayor and County Judge should call a HAVEN Summit to assess the operations of Haven for Hope and find out why they are unwilling and unable to effectively communicate with the surrounding neighborhoods. Senator Menendez also represents this area, as does too State Rep. Diego Bernal- where are they in this fight? Where is Justin Rodriguez who heads up the Haven Community Affairs Dept? is the UTSA urban serving effort? What happened to the early promises that Haven would be monitored and ADJUST to obvious challenges? There has been no adjustment as dozens of mostly men, daily wander and hang out in our neighborhood because Haven offers no free transportation back to their own neighborhood.
Every single city council candidate should be held accountable regarding the homelessness situation in San Antonio and in particular their views on how to make Haven more accountable, accessible, transparent- and either greatly improved or RE-LOCATED.
Carlos Gonzalez
Cochair
West End Hope in Action
