Sunday, September 16, 2018

FULL-COURT PRESS IS ON: CDCB PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS

By Juan Montoya
With a front-page banner story and two full-color half-page ads that set the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville back a few $1,000s, it is unleashing its campaign to pressure the city commission to pass a rezoning ordinance that would allow it to build a 675 single-family homes and another 300 to 4000 "multi-family casitas" for rent right next door to the 300 acres Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation's planned industrial corridor.

They also dusted off the image of Catholic priest Armand Mathew who is mentioned in both ads at the CDCB founder back in 1974. Mathew was a special counselor to former UTB President Julieta Garcia and is memorable for leading a march on his office and threatening Texas Southmost College trustee Trey Mendez with "professional and personal" destruction when the college was separating itself from the "partnership" with the UT System.

The planned project is located immediately down wind from the Union Pacific Railroad switching yards which has caused the railroad's representatives to express concern of the proximity of such a dense residential development and the potential liability of an industrial accident or a chemical or hazardous material spill.

This comes on the heels of the city's approval of a plat for the first phase of the residential project that includes 129 single-family units and 150 multi-family units.

CDCB Executive Director Nick Mitchell Bennett said that the project was "shovel ready" and that the organization had bought the property two years ago since "nothing seemed to be happening with the industrial park," an obvious dig at the new GBIC CEO Mario Lozoya who was just hired last month.


The GBIC purchased the land in 2010 and released its Brownsville Industrial Area Development Plan in 2011 calling for the development of an industrial park that would include the 200 acres purchased in 2017 by the CDCB.

Before Lozoya was at the helm, GBIC Interim Director Gilbert Salinas had known of the CDCB housing project,as well as some city planners and Mayor Tony Martinez. However, no one told the chair of the GBIC then (commissioner Jessica Tetreau) or new chair commissioner Cesar de Leon.

When Lozoya came on board, he did an asset evaluation and warned the GBIC board members that the project would "devalue" their plans fro the industrial corridor. Both Tereau and De Leon voted to table the rezoning request by the CDCB at an August 21 meeting.

Now Mitchell Bennett is urging the commission to grat the CDCB the rezoning request and said that if they don't the planned IDEA charter school that had planned to serve the area might not materialize. He made it seem like the school would not be built if the housing density it seeks is not granted by the city in the rezoning from Residentail "Z" to Residential "G."

Obviously, the plans of both groups will have to be somewhat modified, but judging by the media onslaught and media blitz being perpetrated by the CDCB, they want to have the last word on the issue. Incidentally, not even Mathew's browbeating and threats worked on Mendez and the separation of the UTB-TSC came about despite his efforts to derail that.

Will the dusting off the Mathew ghost work now?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The GBIC purchased the land in 2010 and released its Brownsville Industrial Area Development Plan in 2011 calling for the development of an industrial park that would include the 200 acres purchased in 2017 by the CDCB."

I'm confused. If they've owned that land for more than eight years,and have done nothing this whole time, why the hubbub now? Also, how could it have included 200 acres purchased by the CDCB when those acres were not owned by GBIC? And what about all the other property surrounding GBIC's property? How can they include that property if it is owned by other people? It would be nice to see residential growth in that area making maximum use of a multi-million dollar Sports Park. With residential growth in that area, we'll see a tremendous increase in retail. Sounds like a win-win for everyone, even GBIC. When manufacturing and industrial companies are shortlisting cities, they look at quality of life, retail, how professional elected officials are, etc. Growth in that area will make the City of Brownsville more of a viable choice for prospective businesses. I suggest GBIC maximize use the current industrial park and revise its unimplemented plan. It will make GBIC a contributor to the residential project as the 4A tax revenue allows for support of residential. GBIC should form an alliance with BCIC, CDCB, BEDC, Chambers and more to have more a collective approach at attracting retail and larger employers to Brownsville. This is how the Upper Valley has surpassed Brownsville, even though Brownsville is the largest city in the Valley. Let's move this city to a time of prosperity as we all deserve.

Anonymous said...

What a bad and unsafe location for proposing a housing development! Noisey and dangerous trains going by at all hours of the day and night with the train yard itself being an attractive nuisance and inviting "playground" for the children.

The original zoning ordinance should be adhered to because zoning ordinances are usually created for a reason-in this instance safety would have been the primary concern. Somebody way back when had the common sense to designate this area off limits for residential housing. Stet.

Who are these monkeys at the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville? As they say "show me the money" and where these people are getting it because I don't see benificense as part of their motivation to rezone an industrial park for residential living.

Hope it doesn't go the way I expect will which is "cha-ching" in the cash register for the behind the scenes manipulators in Brownsville who don't care about people (and that includes la gente) other than their own well-to-do selves. Maybe these movers and shakers in the CDCB should be required to live at the proposed location for a "trial run" or pilot study before they start holding out their greedy fingers for pennies from the poor people.

Anonymous said...

"The original zoning ordinance should be adhered to because zoning ordinances are usually created for a reason-in this instance safety would have been the primary concern. Somebody way back when had the common sense to designate this area off limits for residential housing. Stet."

Utilizing your argument, then GBIC should keep its property zoned residential because it is not zoned industrial or commercial.Watch the City meeting to see Mario Lozoya admit that their property is zoned residential and has been.

Anonymous said...

There are no honest people in browntown.

Anonymous said...

Another Gilbert Salinas scam turned sour, GBIC has not utilized the land they have had for long enough, so why do they need more. Their job is to bring industry to Brownsville, not be land owners. This was planned by Salinas and Hilts and they should be charged with fraud and Coruption, you should dig deeper into this scam as it has been around for years.
Lazoya do your job, not say YES TO EVERYTHING

Anonymous said...

Trains carry various loads including Haz Mat industrial materials. Many loads are toxic, flammable, and even explosive. It would be foolish to believe that an accident could not occur and expose the local residents to these dangerous materials. Don't let the few profit at the expense of many.

Anonymous said...

Lazoya just look and see how things are done in Brownsville, they call it moving the goal posts while the game is being played

Anonymous said...

6:10am

I think the only monkey is you.

"Who are these monkeys at the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville? As they say "show me the money" and where these people are getting it because I don't see benificense as part of their motivation to rezone an industrial park for residential living"

The area is zoned residential, moron. The rezoning is in relation to density of the lots, not changing it from industrial to residential. Just as 9:22am pointed out, it is GBIC that is trying change the zoning, because they're too incompetent to do things right the first time. Their motivation is to provide affordable housing to the citizens of Brownsville... dude, read much? If you do, work on those comprehension skills ... lol

By the way, there are hundreds of houses across Old Alice Road from this development, but don't let facts interfere with your ignorant comments.

If you had any intelligence you would be able to easily find out where the money came from, but since you're an ignorant hack, it probably would make any difference to you, anyway, since you are so misinformed.

Your handlers must be disappointed in your stupidity.

chon said...

Folks don't worry about this its all smoke and mirros or a big dog n pony show, just like SPACE X aka George jetson (elon Musk), no big industrial company will come to town es puro PEDO, so lets have these housing projects here instead of empty land.

Anonymous said...

Nick M. Bennett cries every time he doesn't get his way. People like affordable housing. They just don't like bad planning.

Go home, bruh.

rita