By Edmond Ortiz
The launch of development of a South Side police substation, the advancement of Brackenridge Park improvements, and the painting of rainbow sidewalks at local Planned Parenthood facilities highlight the latest bits of news from around San Antonio.
Also, members of a Northeast Side school district are petitioning for the removal of their school board president, and a Comal County emergency services district is helping to fund two major initiatives in New Braunfels.
Construction starts on south San Antonio police substation
San Antonio city leaders and San Antonio Police Department representatives gathered Jan. 12 to break ground on a new South Side police substation.
The city is building a $19 million facility on an 18-acre tract at 8811 S. Flores St., near the intersections of Flores, East Ashley Road and Roosevelt Avenue.
Funded by the city’s voter-approved 2022 bond, the new substation will help to improve service and community engagement in the south central part of town, local officials said.
The new substation will house traditional patrol functions, as well as San Antonio Fear Free Environment officers, a crisis response team, and community space and programs, according to city representatives. The city currently plans to have 28 uniformed personnel and seven civilians work at the new substation, which will be the SAPD’s ninth service facility.
City representatives said the acreage at the new South Side substation will allow the SAPD to address current staffing needs for the area, and plan for future community growth. Construction is scheduled for completion in spring 2027.
Brackenridge Park improvements plan returns to public review
The San Antonio Historic and Design Review Commission will meet Jan. 21 to examine the city’s long-awaited improvements to Brackenridge Park.
City representatives briefed community members Jan. 13 on the status of proposed bond-funded upgrades to the Midtown park.
The work will be divided into two phases. Phase I will cover work related to shoring up structures along the San Antonio River, such as the historic pump house and river wall. Phase II will cover repairs to trails, landscaping, river access, and enhancements around Lambert Beach.
While the Brackenridge Park improvement project got initial voter approval with public passage of the city’s 2017 bond, a legal challenge forced the city to halt pre-construction work.
Specifically, the Lipan Apache Native American Church filed a lawsuit, claiming that the city’s plan to remove some trees and bird habitat in the Lambert Beach area, would violate the group’s civil rights because the congregation performs ceremonies on the same piece of land.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled last summer in the city’s favor, and was supported by an appeals court.
Judson ISD board meeting to be held amid community uproar
The Judson Independent School District board will have its regular January meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at 8205 Palisades Drive in Live Oak.
However, trustees are meeting while several residents are questioning the school district’s elected leadership. JISD community member Ralph Judkins created an online petition, calling for the ouster of Monica Ryan as school board president.
Judkins as the petitioner accuses Ryan of having gone against established local board policy when she formed an agenda for the special Jan. 10 board meeting, which ordered a discussion on the possible termination of Superintendent Milton Fields.
The lengthy meeting ended with trustees voting to suspend Fields, and to seek further legal counsel on their next steps regarding the superintendent’s position. Many attendees at the special meeting objected to firing or suspending Fields, and claimed a slim majority of trustees want Fields to take the blame for difficulties in addressing a district budget deficit.
The online petition was released around the same time that trustee Jose Macias announced that he requested a special board meeting to discuss allegations of abuse of board authority and district employee intimidation by Ryan.
“I did not make this decision lightly. I am not even sure if the allegations are accurate,” Macias recently stated on his Facebook page. “However, as a board member, we are held to higher standards. This special meeting request is targeted to uncover the truth.”
As of publication of this article, on Jan. 19, no special board meeting based on Macias’ request has not been scheduled. Judkins’ petition had garnered the signatures of 913 people by 5 p.m. local time Jan. 19.
According to the agenda for the regularly scheduled Jan. 22 meeting, trustees are slated to discuss board members’ requests and practices. Additionally, trustee Suzanne Kenoyer requested a closed session to talk about board members’ duties, roles and responsibilities.
Local Planned Parenthood offices continue painting rainbow sidewalks
The weekend of Jan. 17-18 marked the completion of the latest set of rainbow sidewalks, which Planned Parenthood South Texas recently commissioned for placement around its seven health care centers.
Officials with Planned Parenthood South Texas announced Jan. 12 that permanent rainbow sidewalks would be painted in front of their facilities “to ensure people of all genders and sexualities feel welcomed the moment they arrive,” according to a social media statement from the organization.
Jan. 15 was the deadline for rainbow crosswalks to be removed from public roadways around Texas, following an order made by Gov. Greg Abbott, and directives issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Those orders prompted the city of San Antonio to remove rainbow crosswalks from North Main Avenue, causing criticisms among local LGBTQ community members. However, the city recently launched a $170,000 project to create rainbow sidewalks along four blocks of North Main.
Representatives of Planned Parenthood South Texas said their decision to paint rainbow sidewalks at their health care centers is an act of solidarity with the local LGBTQ community. Artists such as Mauro de la Tierra, Red Rojas, Vincent Garlisi, Jesse Mata and Mel Rangel have joined other volunteers in creating the rainbow sidewalks.
“One brushstroke, one crosswalk…these acts don’t fix everything, but they matter because they insist on hope in the places and in the hearts where hope is being challenged,” organizational representatives stated on a Facebook post.
New Braunfels-area ESD supports fire training facility, radio coverage
New Braunfels City Council voted Jan. 12 to approve of two public safety initiatives that are being supported by Comal County Emergency Services District No. 7.
One initiative is an interlocal agreement that allows Comal County ESD No. 7 to provide $4 million to fund final additions to the city’s new firefighter training facility, which is under development.
New Braunfels officials said the purpose of the facility is to allow for firefighters to undergo a wider variety of training for incidents that they may respond to around town.
The planned final phase of additions at the new fire training facility include two burn buildings – one a residential configuration and one tower or commercial configuration. A multi-bay building for storage of training apparatus will also be included at the complex.
The council also passed a pact permitting ESD No. 7 to provide $2.5 million toward a Lower Colorado River Authority project that is designed to upgrade regional radio communications at two transmission sites inside New Braunfels.
Local officials said both the city and ESD No. 7 will benefit from the project with improved radio coverage in the area.
Comal County ESD No. 7 assesses mainly a property tax on district property owners to fund fire protection and EMS services in New Braunfels’ extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Hill Country Village taps key City Hall project contractor
Hill Country Village City Council on Jan. 15 approved Joeris General Contractors as the construction-manager-at-risk to oversee the planned overhaul of the town’s municipal complex.
The council back in 2024 approved a $4 million construction cost estimate and a design proposal from the local LPA Design Studio office to replace the City Hall and police station facility at 116 Aspen Lane.
The planned 9,850-square-foot structure will house police and public works departments, offer more space and flexibility for city operations and meetings, and yield additional covered parking space.
City Administrator/Police Chief Frank Morales said officials from the town and Joeris will soon begin negotiations to form a CMAR contract.
