Opinion: The Mismanagement and Neglect of Olmos Creek
Passing the buck is the only action that has been done at Olmos Creek, by a variety of bureaucrats. On October 11th, our pleas began, and as of December 12th, nothing has been done. In addition to the lack of immediate clean-up, there is no long-term maintenance plan to keep Olmos Creek clean, no long-term plan to solve the problem of the debris that flows into Olmos Creek at Jones Maltsberger, and no government entity that wants to accept responsibility. The section of creek in Alamo Heights is actually owned by the city of Alamo Heights, the church, and 2 private residents.
The health and safety of citizens are at risk because of the mismanagement and neglect of sewage and flood debris in Olmos Creek, which flows into the San Antonio River. There has never been a clear-cut understanding of who should keep the park clean. People usually say "the church owns the property" and nobody ever does anything. Citizen volunteers led by Lissa Martinez and Ida Spence, Olmos Basin Park 'Adopt A Park' co-captains with San Antonio Parks, have attempted to keep the park area clean.
The Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and SARA says that Alamo Heights has taken action to join the Bexar Regional Watershed Management Program, but nobody seems to know anything about it.
For years, local residents have avoided the park because of illegal sexual activities. The City of San Antonio does not police it often enough, since the park is between the city of Alamo Heights and the City of Olmos Park. If we could get the local enforcement agencies to work together and patrol regularly, and a Citizens' Action Committee formed, we could get rid of these predators, and once more have a lovely park safe for our children
Finally, the national historical aspect of this park has not been properly honored or publicized by the Bexar County Historical Commissioner or The City of San Antonio's Historic Preservation Office. In the 1930s, Senator Maury Maverick and Lyndon Johnson established the park as Franklin Fields in honor of President Franklin Roosevelt. The park served as the training center for many of the state parks. Today, most of the original structures are still in place. It is a neglected treasure.
Please see the website at http://www.picturetrail.com/olmos_basin_park
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