Lennar wants to build nearly 3,000 homes near Scenic Loop Road and Babcock Road in Bexar County. But to build the homes, it must build a wastewater plant.
HELOTES, Texas — Nearly 200 people gathered in Helotes Sunday to march against a development plan that they believe puts millions of people’s drinking water at risk.
The development by Lennar Corporation has been in the works for years and this battle has been ongoing between environmentalists, city leaders and the company.
Lennar wants to build nearly 3,000 homes on 1,100 acres of land near Scenic Loop Road and Babcock Road in Bexar County. But to build the homes, it must build a wastewater plant.
According to Lennar’s plan, the plant would dump up to a million gallons of treated sewerage water into Helotes creek every day.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality would need to issue a permit in order to move forward with development.
In the past, a company spokesperson told residents at a meeting that the plan is more environmentally friendly than installing a septic system. However, the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance argued the treated wastewater would flow through the Edwards Aquifer’s recharge zone, degrading water quality.
On Sunday at the Million Gallon March, speakers included Grey Forest Mayor Paul Garro, Helotes Mayor Rich Whitehead and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
“We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars of a community to protect that water supply and we need now, TCEQ to do its job as a regulator to prevent dangerous development form contaminating our water,” Nirenberg said.
Back in August, TCEQ allowed the plan to be contested in hearings now scheduled for February 18-21.
Lennar Homes is going up against the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and Lynette Munson. Munson’s family owns more than 100 acres of land next to the proposed subdivision. They are concerned their shallow wells, which they rely on for drinking water, will be impacted.
Many people who did show up on Sunday grew up in Grey Forest and Helotes, the communities closest to the development. The protest was organized by the Scenic Loop Helotes Creek Alliance.
“It’s encouraging after all the work we’ve been doing,” Nettie Birnbaum with the alliance said.
A judge with the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) will be hearing the case in a few weeks. However, TCEQ commissioners will have the final say on whether to grant the permit to build the sewage plant.
KENS 5 has reached out to Lennar Corporation several times and has not heard back.