Clean water activists and green space protectors were dealt a major blow at the tail end of December when a judge failed to move on a motion to rehear their case against the dumping of 1 million gallons of treated wastewater a day into the Helotes Creek watershed. While some Far Northside Bexar County groups continue to raise concerns at various stages of the process, attention has also shifted to a proposed development that includes a gas station, two fast-food restaurants and 10,000 square feet of retail space.
Lennar Homes is a major developer in Texas. It’s the company behind several sprawling neighborhoods in rural areas or the outskirts of urban cores, like in San Antonio where the company has planted roots around town in every cardinal direction. With thousands of homes, comes the desire for shopping centers, gas stations and food options. So, the company often builds them right into the plans.
But it wasn’t until a traffic impact analysis cropped up in public county documents that residents and activist groups uncovered similar plans near Helotes, where Lennar Homes plans to erect 2,700 homes under the name Guajolote Ranch. It’s a development locals and water conservationists have fought tooth and nail for years, citing water contamination concerns, negative impacts to rural scenery and environmental issues…