EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — “These are folks that have been here for 40 plus years, with the proper planning and more time in advance, the proper infrastructure could have been built and now there’s a lack of infrastructure and the roads are not there. So now they’re like ‘oh, let’s go take their houses’,” said Lorena Silvestre-Tobias.
Silvestre-Tobias is a leader for the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization and a resident of the Bauman neighborhood in Socorro, Texas where the city could build an arterial road.
The City of Socorro held a workshop on Thursday, July 11 at Socorro High School exclusively for residents who live in areas adjacent to sites where the road could be laid out.
The project named “Arterial one” would see the construction of a four-lane divided roadway extending from I-10 to Socorro Road, to help address increased traffic volumes that have resulted from increased population and development in the City.
There were initially only three alternate sites for the project, but the City of Socorro expanded it to six after receiving backlash from residents, specifically those who live along Bauman Street and Vineyard Road.
Alternative one is one of the projects that would demolish many homes along those neighborhoods.
Bauman Street, Socorro, TX
“Why didn’t they build that road earlier? I’ve lived here since ‘89,” said Luis Betancourt, a resident on San Ysidro Road in Socorro.
“They want to demolish houses and properties after we’ve been here for so long. They didn’t warn us with time and they have built a lot of new homes in the time since. Be open with us, what will be done and what won’t be done,” said Betancourt.
The neighborhoods along the Alternative one site are some of the oldest in the City and comprised primarily of low-income and elderly residents, who have lived there for decades.
Betancourt, like many residents along these neighborhoods, said that they don’t oppose the arterial road’s construction and acknowledge the need for it, but not at the cost of their homes.
“The majority of us are older and retired. Having to start from scratch and look for a new place to live? It’s not fair. And we’re all really good and close neighbors, we’ve lived here peacefully, so it’s difficult to imagine that this could happen,” said Antonio Silvestre, a resident off of Bauman Street.
Part of their frustration, residents said, is that the City has lacked transparency, clarity and felt that the other alternatives had been a more viable option.
The residents say that the City allowed for the development of the new residents and business in those areas because they were fixated on Alternative one becoming the choice.
Officials with the City of Socorro said the project is just in the exploration phase and are not anywhere near making a decision.
They hope that Thursday’s workshop and the discussions to be had, will serve to clarify misinformation and provide residents with the answers they seek.
“There’s no route that has been determined, there is no action currently pending. What we do want to get is feedback from all of our residents to make sure that they’re aware of what’s going on and give us the opportunity to have a conversation with them, to explore and educate them on what it is we’re trying to do here,” said Public Information Officer for the City of Socorro, Victor Reta.
“We wanted to put the resident’s point of view out there so the city would hopefully consider and seek elsewhere, because for these folks it’s not only about their home, it’s about their livelihood, these are individuals who came into this country and built those homes,” said Silvestre-Tobias.
There will be two other workshops held at Socorro High School on Friday, July 12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday July 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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