A traffic impact analysis in public county documents revealed that Lennar Homes, a major developer in Texas, plans to build 2,700 properties near Helotes, accompanied by a few retail spaces.
Located 20 miles outside San Antonio, activists are opposing the development, citing environmental concerns, potential water contamination, and the destruction of rural land, according to MySanAntonio.com.
Executive director of Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance Annalisa Peace, a leader actively fighting the advancement of Lennar Homes projects, wrote in a newsletter, "We were stunned to learn, from a traffic impact analysis submitted by Pape Dawson Engineers, that the Guajolote Project will now include the addition of a gas station and retail shopping center on Scenic Loop Road."
The site plans include 10,000 square feet of retail space, a 5,000-square-foot gas station with eight pumps, restaurant spaces, and 80,000 square feet of storage space. The developer's intent is to provide the comforts and convenience of the big city; however, activists foresee environmental harm.
Opponents are trying to prevent the construction of any gas stations within three miles of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone to prevent contamination of the primary source of San Antonio's drinking water. This news comes soon after a judge denied a motion to rehear a case challenging the dumping of 1 million gallons of treated wastewater into the Helotes Creek watershed each day.
Activists around the country are also fighting similar developments in Palm Springs, California, and Lexington County, South Carolina.
Rent is getting increasingly expensive, and places to live are becoming harder to find in major cities across the U.S. While it's important to keep developing affordable homes within a reasonable commuting distance, it's necessary to work around protected spaces, Indigenous-owned land, and nature conservation zones to preserve essential areas and species.
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