- Elisa Gutierrez @ Mr. Jorge Vera: Well then, if the information of the wetland is farce, what is it considered? I would like to know and so many others.
- Tricia Cortez We thank Councilman Vera for his response, which is no longer showing up for some reason -- Jorge Vera wrote: "It's only three acres that will be altered, the green space where the palm trees will be spared. The information that the area is a wetland i...See More
- Virginia Elizabeth The reason why Laredo can't be like Austin and San Antonio is that it doesn't have as many wetlands as those places!
- Tricia Cortez In response to the points that Jorge Vera raises: 1) This area IS FEDERALLY DESIGNATED as "wetland" and "waters of the United States." This has been confirmed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and in a study by PBS&J, a private engineering firm out o...See More
- Tricia Cortez P.S. One last comment in response to Jorge Vera -- yes, the Corps of Engineers gave the green light to fill nearly all of this wetland. They almost always do. However, this does not mean that it has to be done. The will and voice of the people should a...See More
- Elisa Gutierrez This is a plea to the City Councilmen, whom WE voted in, to consider the preservation of the wetland and to cherish and treasure what nature has given Laredo for the future of our city. Build the mall but SAVE the WETLAND. Laredo may not have as many wetlands as other cities but MORE reason to preserve what we do have. Do the RIGHT THING COUNCILMEN......
- Arturo Trevino this so called wetlands is not even a park....how will the childrens children benefit from this.....we need jobs and growth to boost economy,get over it,publish the real blueprint plans....right now its he said she said syndrome....besides this area is not public land,its man made....
- Tricia Cortez Art -- Lake Casa Blanca is manmade, so is Falcon Dam, so is Amistad Dam. They are all manmade but with time they have become highly functioning eco-systems. Not just that, the Rio Grande Valley has taken advantage of its green spaces. Nature tourism, l...See More
- Ernie Treviño We really need to protect our natural resources. Look what we have done to our rivers and our atmosphere. When do we say "no" to destroying everything for the sake of a dollar. "We need jobs and growth?" Look around when has the economy in Laredo slowed down. Jobs -- how many "Help Wanted" signs are all over town.
- David Hunt Over the last year I have spent less than 2 hours and less than $50.00 at our mall. I spend many days and lots of money enjoying wild places. Will my money and I always have to leave Laredo to do this? I'm sure there are less obtrusive places Laredo can grow.
- Arturo Trevino we can have both...Amistad and Falcon dam is our only choice of drinking water ....not the lake...dont compare it to this....so who is righton the blueprints..
- Virginia Elizabeth It's true...we can have an economy that's respects need for jobs and nature, but we are relying on our decision makers to make smart choices for us -choices that take everyone's values into account. We are counting on our decision makers to recognize ...See More
- Elisa Gutierrez About 2 or 3 years ago the Amazon Kingfisher was spotted along the Zacate Creek, I was just a novice at bird watching but I was amazed at the people that had arrived from Kansas, Lousiana, Canada, Tennessee and other parts of the USA just to take a gli...See More
- C.j. Soto Hey guys I stopped by the wetland today, our brother palm trees miss our company. We should throw another walk!
- Rob Simonton The right balance enhances the shopping experience! That area if preserved and integrated into the project could attract even more customers and tourism dollars. San Antonio has several shopping areas that have done this well and they are the best places to shop in the city.
- Tom Wade Just a suggestion....Loop 20 is prime real estate for business. Everyone knew it when it was built, and everyone expected development along the loop to occur.
- C.j. Soto Some people just needa open their eyes thats all. Life belongs there, another crap mall wont satisfy the whole world and meet job quota, unless your a business man. In that case stick to your field, leave ours alone. Excuse me, leave nature alone. Like it has been for the last, not 30 but over 65 years. Peace!
- Elisa Gutierrez I am 65 years old and that oasis has been there since I can remember. It didn't just develop 30 years ago....
- Tom Wade Elisa, CJ, I am talking about the retention pond, not the other trees or area, being about 30 years old. CJ if you are so narrow minded to not include the business world in this discussion, so be it. Keep you mind closed dude. Peace
- C.j. Soto I didnt say dont build the mall DUDE, therefor it isnt a closed minded statement. Again, just build around the beloved WETLAND and both parties live happily, including Wildlife.
- David Hunt What I'd like to hear from developers is an answer to the question "Why not just leave it alone?" Yes, I understand there are already plans. They can be changed.
- Tricia Cortez Tom Wade, I understand that you are a birder! And that you actually like to bird off Ranchito Road near this wetland. So why is it that you are so ready to just have it taken out? Do you not believe in balance, and sustainable development?
- Tricia Cortez And speaking of how much money the retail center is projected to bring in -- we believe that is a great thing for the city! But we also believe that this wetland can also enhance the tourism industry in Laredo. Today there were birders there from British Columbia, Vermont and Pennsylvania, awe-struck by the beauty of that place and diversity of bird species that they saw in it. A&M-College Station released a report in April 2012 that showed nature tourism contributes $463 million to the economy in the Rio Grande Valley and sustains 6,600 FT and PT jobs. That is serious stuff. Why take out a place that has the potential to begin doing this for Laredo???
- Tom Wade Trish my problem has never been with preserving areas for nature. I consider myself a conservationist, but not an environmentalist. The whole problem here is that the center ( RGISC) is acting in a reactionary fashion, beginning it's protest long after the city and the developer have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process of identifying markets, properties, and financing. Around 2005 the center waited until the city had leased property to the developer then started complaining. No one had even heard of this "wetland" until then. The center put together a petition made up mostly of children who thought Lake Casablanca was being destroyed. The center forced a Corp of Engineers hearing. All of this could have been avoided by being proactive. If you truly want to protect these types of areas, they should be identified (inventoried city wide) and then that list taken to the city ahead of time. When has the center ever approached a landowner and said, hey, you have some very interesting wildlife/plants here and should consider saving this land for just such a purpose, versus waiting until a landowner has invested hard earned money in developing the land? Why has the center not worked towards getting land around the lake classified as a wildlife preserve? Again, a proactive measure that would stop development at the lake. I suggested this in a post earlier in this string, and what did I hear...."Life belongs there, another crap mall wont satisfy the whole world and meet job quota, unless your a business man. In that case stick to your field, leave ours alone. Excuse me, leave nature alone." That and other post tell me that this group is only interested in confrontation, not long term vision. That is pretty sad. Again, if you talk with the city, you might just get some money out of this deal to look at starting the process to build a wildlife refuge somewhere along the east/south side of the lake. But your time is running out, as I-60 spur is being considered along 59 hwy. Your center needs not only the city, but the landowners to buy into what you are trying to accomplish. Confrontation after plans are initiated to invest millions of dollars will not work. And if you win this battle, you may save a few acres, but will lose out on the opportunity to do something big.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Casablanca Retention Pond Battle II. A lack of vision.
Here is a string off Facebook concerning the Casablanca Retention Pond. Please add your thoughts.
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