WFAA
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 10:47 PM
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 10:47 PM
DALLAS — Activists are fighting efforts by the City of Dallas to seize a private soccer complex to make room for a golf course and equestrian center.“They’ve just told me they need the land, and they’re going to get it,” said Rhadames Solano.
In December, the City Council approved the use of eminent domain to seize Solano’s 23-acre soccer complex on Elam Road near Interstate 45 and Loop 12.
The city says it needs his property to make room for its sweeping Trinity River Corridor Project, which includes an equestrian center that will accompany an 18-hole golf course planned nearby on a former landfill.
“They just want to take it,” Solano said. “You’re going to destroy a park to build another park.”
The issue has ignited the anger of community activists like Carlos Quintanilla, who accuse the city of favoring elite equestrians.
“This is a facility serving our Hispanic community for many, many years,” Quintanilla said at a recent rally at the soccer complex. “They’re going to be investing millions and millions of dollars for horse owners. Why is the Hispanic community always shortchanged?”
Indeed, Solano does have supporters from critics at City Hall who question whether Dallas can afford an equestrian center.
“I think my overarching concern is, will this park be successful?” asked Council member Angela Hunt. “I am concerned that we’re taking soccer fields being used by kids, but my overall concern is about its ultimate success, and will we as taxpayers have to bear the burden if it’s not successful?”
The city will pay for the $12 million construction costs of the Texas Horse Park, but non-profits would be responsible for running the facility. The center is planned to offer trail rides and camps to serve low-income neighbors.
“It’s going to have an impact that goes much farther than just the community,” said Patrick Bricker, CEO of Equest. His non-profit grouip, which uses horses as a form of therapy for disabled children and adults, plans to spend $800,000 a year operating out of the Dallas Horse Center.
Bricker also hopes to expand his group's reach to help injured veterans.
“I think the people that live there now, and the things that are going to happen there are going to be positive,” he said.
The city hasn’t said whether the eminent domain fight could hold up construction of the horse park.
Solano is hoping a judge will rule in his favor. The former youth soccer coach bought the undeveloped land 15 years ago with the dream of opening his own soccer complex. He cleared the brush and installed soccer fields along with offices and concession stands.
The city says some of the buildings were constructed illegally, and a spokesperson said the city made it clear back in 1997 — a year before Solano bought the land — that it wanted that property as part of its master plan for the Trinity Forest.
“The city has attempted to reach an amicable price settlement for years, but the property owner has refused to make a counter offer," ” City of Dallas spokesman Frank Librio wrote in an e-mail to News 8.
The city offered Solano $252,000 — more than ten times the land’s appraised value — but Solano said no amount would convince him to leave.
“We paid for this property. We own it,” he said. “My family’s not ready to give it up at this time.”
The city will pay for the $12 million construction costs of the Texas Horse Park, but non-profits would be responsible for running the facility. The center is planned to offer trail rides and camps to serve low-income neighbors.
“It’s going to have an impact that goes much farther than just the community,” said Patrick Bricker, CEO of Equest. His non-profit grouip, which uses horses as a form of therapy for disabled children and adults, plans to spend $800,000 a year operating out of the Dallas Horse Center.
Bricker also hopes to expand his group's reach to help injured veterans.
“I think the people that live there now, and the things that are going to happen there are going to be positive,” he said.
The city hasn’t said whether the eminent domain fight could hold up construction of the horse park.
Solano is hoping a judge will rule in his favor. The former youth soccer coach bought the undeveloped land 15 years ago with the dream of opening his own soccer complex. He cleared the brush and installed soccer fields along with offices and concession stands.
The city says some of the buildings were constructed illegally, and a spokesperson said the city made it clear back in 1997 — a year before Solano bought the land — that it wanted that property as part of its master plan for the Trinity Forest.
“The city has attempted to reach an amicable price settlement for years, but the property owner has refused to make a counter offer," ” City of Dallas spokesman Frank Librio wrote in an e-mail to News 8.
The city offered Solano $252,000 — more than ten times the land’s appraised value — but Solano said no amount would convince him to leave.
“We paid for this property. We own it,” he said. “My family’s not ready to give it up at this time.”
15 comments:
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Fight the fight!!!!!!
Come on, Juan. This guy is scum and needs to stay out of BISD. Quit trying to sell him to your readers.
Bybv- My first comment about Rick's first ad was "does this guy even know children attend BISD?" I knew nothing about the cast of characters. I was sitting at Luke Frias having my truck worked on when Ruben Cortez called me to complain about the BV and some comments I had made. Until then I had never spoken a word to Ruben Cortez. He told me about a sanction hearing against Carlos Quintanilla and invited me to attend. I did.
This is all I did. But lawyers kept on telling me I needed to investigate Rick Zayas. I always told people the same - tell me where to go for the information and I will research it. I am not going to reinvent the wheel.
My first clues came one day when Rick told me he could not meet because he and his sociopath law partner Luis Hernandez (yea I will defend that statement on documents) were on their was to federal court for yet another sanction hearing over discovery abuses.
I quickly came to learn lawyers viewed Rick Zayas and Luis Hernandez as unethical lawyers who obstructed the discovery process, but get away with it because Cameron county judges refuse to enforce the sanction rules. I have signed an affidavit which is going out to all the proper state agencies both civil and criminal verifying that Rick Zayas told me that as a matter of policy Luis Hernandez denies all Requests for Admissions until he is brought into court on a sanction motion. It is a delay tactic. If the State Bar fails to take action, there will be litigation by me against Luis Hernandez, Rick Zayas, and the State Bar for covering it up. The documents I have collected prove my claims.-
Quintanilla is a Conman and he pimps out BISD members Catita la del barrio and flusie Luci goosy. Caty and Lucy are fighting to keep The law firm that Quintanilla brought to town and the one he funnels money to Catita la del barrio. stop protecting them Juan, have some HUEVOS!
Speaking of Scum and Con Men, what about Maclovio O'Malley. If Maclovio is really Chris Valadez, doesen't he know that the County can withhold his paycheck till they collect the taxes he owes on his property? Tony Yzaguirre,our esteemed Tax Assessor Collector, says he owes $10,799.54 on his residence at 1014 Pasadero Dr. and Tony says he also owes $10,374.45 on the property at 3516 Coffeeport Rd. Hey, what is a cool $21 thousand plus in tax money owed for the years of 2010, 2011, and 2012 to such an upstanding community minded citizen as the "Maclovio"? Tony probably cut a deal with O'Malley so he won't spill the frijoles on him -Tony.
Juan Please say it isn't so... that CQ gave you a french kiss and told you that you are his hero and to please let the Brownsville Citizens that he is trust worthy and hasn't stold money from the poor and now has moved from Chicago to Texas and has set up shop in Dallas and is trying to have people trust him into allowing him to scam our citizens. Don't ruin your following by mentinoning Carlos Quintanilla scams. Come on... Dallas scams. We have our own problems with Brownsville Cheezmeh and Carlos Quintanilla. Two outsiders trying to scam the poor and gullible people. In other words NO MAMES JUAN.....
nomas de ver la foto de este guey, con esta cara deveria estar en san quentin calif.en el bote, no mamen ya no dejen de entrar a este pendejo al BISD.
Wonder what the people of Dallas say about this guy. I have talked to many people who live in Dallas and they see him in a very different light. It is not just this issue it is many different issues that he leads.
Losers who wish they had the juevos this guy has.
Isn't tat the hearing where he kicked their ass.
I do not get it what is wrong fighting the takin of a mans property...Pendejos...Good job Mr. Q. Fuck these idiotas
This guy is Like Cata La Rata! They live off hand-outs and they fool lots of people who cannot think for themselves!
Pobre hombre...Asà vivió!!!42244224 Gailabit
The only comments that speak well of Carlos Quintanilla are written by Carlos Quintanilla himself. People from Dallas piss on you CQ. Raza is Raza and you are not Raza. You are a Con and Scum who has and is taking advantage of the poor Hispanic Culture by calling yourself an Activist. You are nothing more than a Con Man taking advantage of a situation just like your partner in crime Erasmo from Brownsville Cheezmeh.
Ya quizieran tener los huevos de Carlos.
Oh yeah Carlos Quintanilla u say u have huevos! U have them alright to rob poor Hispanics asking for donation for "the good cause" aka ur pockets! You should be in jail never gets involved anywhere where there is no $ involved when ppl he writes hot checks to threat him that they are going to talk he says he will sue them and humble immigrant ppl don't know better so they get scared and don't talk. He calls himself an empresario business man SHIT! He opens bank accounts for people to deposit in "donations"it then closes it and writes people hot checks after they work for him they go to the bank to cash it and boom that account is no longer available! I know of soo many people here in forth worth, and dallas who know who this scum bag really is! Every time I see his face I wanna throw up! But soon he will get caught bec he is on top of the list next to all his other con friends to name one Luis De la garza who like CQ liked to rob ppl and owed many got used to easy $ got caught robbing banks & now CQ is talking shit about him after they have been soo good friends for many yrs and ripped off many ppl together he said Luis owed many ppl SHIT Carlos who ever Luis owed 2 you multiply that by 1000 YOU ARE THE SAME AS = WORSE THAN LUIS YOU JUST HAVE NOT GOTTEN CAUGHT BUT U WILL SOONER OR LATER MF U R NOT AN ACTIVIST THAT'S UR COSTUME U R A THIEF YOU DNT EVEN CARE FOR UR KIDS ALL U CARE FOR IS YOURSELF AND $ IN UR POKETS GO TO HELL MF!
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