SAN ANTONIO – The town of San Antonio ripped out 4 concrete barriers and decreased the scale of 2 others in entrance of a downtown church simply months after they had been constructed, following pressure from a prominent real estate developer, data got through Investigates display.
City officers ultimate month defended the development venture, a secure bike lane in entrance of First Presbyterian Church, after church leaders instructed the paintings was once no longer communicated to them correctly.
Voters authorized the bike lanes as a part of a bigger $42 million 2017 municipal bond venture.
The bike lane portion of the venture is nearing finishing touch, however executing the plan has no longer come with out speedbumps.
Not most effective was once a part of the venture torn down and rebuilt, data display, however cameras discovered that many cyclists both don’t notice the lanes are there, or they’re opting for to not use them.
Email data got through thru a public information request display that during October 2021, Ed Cross, a prominent San Antonio real estate developer and parishioner of First Presbyterian, contacted town leaders with issues concerning the then-ongoing building of raised dividers alongside N. Alamo St.
“This is a surprise to the church and to me as no one from COSA (City of San Antonio) staff or Sundt (construction company) inquired beforehand,” wrote Cross on Oct. 4, 2021.
Cross integrated pictures of the concrete islands being constructed.
An assistant town engineer answered to Cross days later and supplied bullet issues on the entire techniques town group of workers had communicated the venture, together with a digital public assembly in June 2020 that the church was once at the e mail checklist for.
The staffer mentioned a town worker additionally had “ongoing communication with the church before and during construction of this portion of the project,” data display.
Rev. Dr. Bob Fuller, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church, instructed ultimate month the secure bike lane has created a number of hardships and risks alongside N. Alamo, together with casting off parking for churchgoers who’re senior voters or disabled.
Fuller instructed the town broke floor earlier than the church may just correctly reply, and didn’t paintings with the church at the parameters of the venture.
“It was done in a way that caught the church by surprise,” mentioned Fuller.
A 2d church member who was once thinking about discussions with the town about disposing of the concrete islands requested to stay nameless.
He referred to as the dividers a burden on churchgoers that impacted funerals and weddings and mentioned the church was once ignorant of the venture till after the islands had been already being constructed.
Assistant City Manager Rod Sanchez, who oversees the Public Works Department, driven again on complaint of the venture from participants of the church.
“We feel we’ve been very diligent about letting stakeholders know about the project, what’s coming. I don’t believe they were caught off guard. I don’t think they quite understood what the design looked like,” mentioned Sanchez, who added ultimate month that portion of the Broadway bond venture was once weeks from being finished.
City officers and church leaders ultimately met concerning the venture after Cross labored to organize a gathering, data display.
“Christmas is fast approaching!”
On November 15, 2021, Cross instructed public works workers the problem had to be resolved earlier than Christmas.
Three days later, e mail data display Cross outlining to the town seven pieces either side “agreed to address.”
“We confirm agreement on your summary,” an assistant town engineer answered the similar day, data display.
On December 5, 2021, Cross once more emailed public works workers for an replace at the venture being remodeled, writing, “as Christmas is fast approaching!”
Cross once more requested for an replace at the paintings 3 days later, data display.
Sanchez mentioned the contractor ultimately got rid of 4 of the concrete islands and altered the scale of 2 others.
The paintings was once finished across the 3rd week of December 2021, in step with town data.
According to emails, Cross on Dec. 18, 2021, thanked public works workers “for a job both well and timely done!”
Cross didn’t reply to calls from in quest of remark for this tale.
“They had a good point so we relooked at it and reworked the site a little bit for them,” mentioned Sanchez.
He denied the statement that Cross was once directing town group of workers on methods to lift out a voter-funded bond venture.
“We were very much in charge of the project. We were committed to the voters of the bond project, that there would be a protected bike lane,” mentioned Sanchez. “The way I see it, Ed got the ball rolling. He got us in contact with the church leaders and our conversations really were with the church leaders who were asking for all this.”
City officers showed the associated fee to change the concrete islands was once roughly $17,000.
Sanchez mentioned the cash got here from bond venture budget and that the town budgets for contingencies like this.
The whole bike lane venture on N. Alamo St. between 4th Street and McCullough Avenue value roughly $450,000, officers mentioned.
Bike lane slightly in use
spent portions of 4 days recording pictures for this tale.
During the ones sessions, a overwhelming majority of folks driving bicycles and scooters alongside N. Alamo St. didn’t make the most of the secure bike lane.
Sanchez mentioned the town would possibly paintings with the biking group to have a driving match thru that space to extend the visibility of the bike lane.
The lane had a big asphalt mound with a short lived picket ramp put in.
Officials referred to as the ramp a short lived repair so bus passengers can get off and on of VIA buses which were briefly rerouted to that segment of N. Alamo St.
Separately, an SUV turning onto N. Alamo St. struck one of the vital concrete islands as was once recording pictures of the church.
The whole Broadway Street Corridor venture is scheduled for finishing touch someday in 2024, officers have up to now mentioned.
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