SAN ANTONIO – Southwest Side residents, like Cynthia Vallejo, said they’re fighting for their homes.
“I just hope that something comes of this and that they hear our voices,” Vallejo said.
Vallejo hopes she and her neighbors get a fair chance “to fight for our homes.”
The Friday night meeting was in response to the Concepcion Creek Drainage Project. The city said this project will address projected flooding south of U.S. Highway 90 and west of Interstate 35 that’s been pointed out in updated FEMA floodplain maps.
Earlier this year, the city presented three proposals. Those plans showed that more than 100 homes could be removed. If nothing is done and a 100-year flood takes place, the city said thousands of homes could be on the line.
“Ultimately, the goal here is to save lives and livelihoods,” San Antonio District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo said. “We don’t have a project selected, and we don’t have the funding for any of the proposals.”
After nearly a dozen community meetings, Castillo and the city’s Public Works Department confirmed that they are going back to the drawing board to see if alternative plans can be found to save more families from being relocated.
“We’re hopeful that there will be alternative plans that would have less impact,” Castillo said.
Public Works confirmed this project is largely unfunded. Castillo said the city would have to look to the state and federal government for funding.
“This is something that the City in San Antonio cannot fully fund alone,” Castillo said.
In the meantime, people opposed to the Concepcion Creek Drainage Project are making their voices heard.
“That house is my sanctuary,” Michaeleen McInturff, an impacted homeowner, said. “There has to be other options.”
McInturff is not alone.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Eddie Medina, another homeowner, said. “We’re still going to fight ‘til the very end.”
A spokesperson for Castillo confirmed that new proposals should be finished for this project by Summer 2025.