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Neighbors outraged with loss of landscaping in northwest San Antonio development

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:32:01 GMT

Dean Bibles calls the creation of the Cresta Bella residential community “beyond sickening” as he overlooks hills that have been stripped down to dirt and uprooted of trees.

Cresta Bella is located just west of I-10 at Camp Bullis Road north of Loop 1604.

Bibles lives in the adjacent Crown Ridge neighborhood.

“I’ve never seen an area purported to be developing for home sites that have completed destroyed the landscape the way they have here,” he said.

Advertisements for Cresta Bella tout "picturesque hill country acres" and "natural green preservation."

But that’s exactly what some people worry is being ruined.

"One of the things that makes people want to come to San Antonio is the beauty of this area and frankly they have absolutely destroyed this area,” said William Sponsel, who lives nearby.

Both Sponsel and Bibles wonder how the development could be allowed by the city. But it is.

Because construction on Cresta Bella began in 2006, it falls under a previous city ordinance that requires 25 percent of trees be preserved.

That ordinance was revised in 2010 to require 35 percent of trees be preserved.

“We tried to make an ordinance that if people would spend more time studying the site rather than just clearing the site, they could do what they wanted to do and without a whole lot of extra cost,” said outgoing District 8 City Councilman, Reed Williams.

Rod Sanchez, director of the city’s Development Services, says the Cresta Bella project is not in violation of any city rules and regulations.

“They're setting aside 25 percent of the trees which is required by the plan, required by that ordinance at the time,” he said. “Just to be on the safe side, we're sending an inspector out there every week just to verify.”

Neighbors also complain about the amount of dust being spewed into the air by construction on the Cresta Bella site.

Sanchez says it has asked the developer to “water the ground more thoroughly as they do this cut and fill” to decrease the amount of dust.

“We are losing a very major part of the things that attract people to San Antonio,” Bibles said.

For a list of recent stories Myra Arthur has done, click here.

Former Edgewood PTA president accused of theft

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:46:42 GMT

Roughly $1,800 dollars has been drained from the Loma Park Elementary School PTA fund and the PTA's former president, Fabian Ybarra, has been accused in the theft.

"We did these fundraisers, we did dances, the kids they paid -- I mean, we bought snacks so they can buy them and it turned out to be a big thing for the kids," said Loma Park Elementary School Treasurer Sylvia Gonzales. "I called the bank and we spoke to one of the managers and they said he had done the electronic. It went to his personal account."

According to Gonzales, Ybarra had not been carrying his weight recently.

She said he was asked to step down a couple months ago, but refused.

A short time later, money that was held in a joint school account reportedly had been transferred to his personal account.

"I don't have the details on what the investigation was, but apparently this individual admitted to taking those funds," said Edgewood ISD spokesman Roland Martinez.

The money was supposed to help fund field trips and the fifth graders' end-of-year banquet.

"We're just going do the best that we can and the principal said that they'll put in the rest whatever they need," Gonzales said.

Ybarra was removed as PTA president following the incident two months ago and Gonzales said she hasn't seen him since.

"Once this was brought to our attention, we worked with our district police and, subsequently, with the legal system to bring charges and recovery and closure to this incident," Martinez said.

Martinez reports the district has turned the case over to the Bexar County District Attorney's Office to recover the roughly $1,800 that is still missing from the PTA fund.

The KSAT Defenders left messages for Ybarra Wednesday afternoon that were not returned.

For a list of recent stories April Molina has done, click here.

Scientist says Smart Meters not dangerous

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:50:58 GMT

Despite protests that the radio frequency radiation emitted by Smart Meters used by utilities like CPS Energy is a health danger, a San Antonio scientist said the meters are safe.

For years, utilities used analog meters to measure electric usage.

Now, digital meters are being installed and, in some homes, the new Smart Meter is being used. The Smart Meter allows two-way communication between the utility and the meter.

"The future of meters is a Smart Meter," said CPS Energy Spokeswoman Lisa Lewis earlier this year.

But customers of other utilities told the Texas Public Utility Commission at a hearing that Smart Meters had harmed their health.

Mark Sumerlin told the PUC he falls asleep at work because the Smart Meter on his home disturbs his sleep.

"These Smart Meters threaten my family as well as everybody else in this room," Sumerlin said.

He said Smart Meters are dangerous and that the radio frequency -- or RF -- signal emitted has practically driven his family out of their home.

"I am strongly convinced that this meter is emitting radiation through my home to the point where me and my wife have vacated my bedroom," Sumerlin said.

Q. Coleman testified that there are many questions about Smart Meters that need to be answered.

"What part of these not-so-Smart Meters do we not understand anymore?" Coleman asked.

A recent BBC news story told about dozens of people flocking to Green Bank, W.V., because it is part of the U.S. Radio Quiet Zone, where wireless and RF waves are banned.

But many scientists scoff at the notion of Smart Meters emitting dangerous levels of radiation.

At the University of Texas Health Science Center, researchers have studied radio frequency for years.

Dr. Geoffrey Clarke said CPS Energy customers should not be concerned about digital or Smart Meters.

"I think radio frequency is generally good and useful," Clarke said.

Clarke said microwave ovens are much more dangerous in terms of RF and so are cell phones.

"If you're going to be scared of Smart Meters, then you better stay away from wireless networks and cell phones as well," Clarke said.

He said RF can heat tissue and that people with metal in their bodies may be more sensitive, but that many times, people feel harm when there is none.

"Never underestimate the power of the mind," Clarke said.

CPS Energy said more RF is emitted by cell phones and baby monitors than Smart Meters. The utility plans to install more of them later this year and early next year.

For a list of recent stories Brian Mylar has done, click here.

KSAT Defenders: Bed bugs confirmed in 9 San Antonio hotels

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:50:34 GMT

In San Antonio, the KSAT Defenders found at least nine hotels with reported complaints of bed bugs and then documented evidence.

"They can live in televisions, behind switch plates, behind wall paper, (and) of course, in cracks and crevices, in dresser drawers and underneath dresser drawers," said San Antonio Metro Health Department Sanitation Services Manager Stephen Barscewski. "We certainly press them to get extermination companies in since they can be very difficult to get rid of."

Only one of the nine hotels that had a confirmed bed bug finding had a follow-up inspection done by the health department.

Eight other hotels were confirmed to have bed bugs by Metro Health and all eight were told there would be a follow-up inspection.

In six of the reports, a return inspection date was given.

Despite this, the Defenders found health department follow-ups were not done at any of these hotels.

"If the health department and the hotel management are not communicating effectively on the follow-up of these complaints, we certainly need to work with the health department to make that happen," said San Antonio Hotel and Lodging Association Executive John Clamp.

"Since we don't license the facilities, we do inspections on a complaint basis," Barscewski said.

He also said hotels and motels are not considered customers of the health department.

Complaints about bed bugs are classified as generic and are not re-scheduled by the computer system, which means follow-ups are often overlooked.

"We're obviously a customer of the city, so the health department regulates the city of San Antonio, not just hotels, restaurants and every establishment within the city. So if there's a health issue, we need to be their client," Clamp said.

Barscewski said the department is working on system upgrades to keep future follow ups from falling through the cracks.

For more information on hotel inspections, visit www.sanantonio.gov/health

For a list of recent stories April Molina has done, click here.

Karnes County cleans up illegal dumping by San Antonio River

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:57:37 GMT

Cleanup has begun in Karnes County after debris from a demolished hospital was wrongly dumped beside the San Antonio River on orders of a county employee.

The supervisor of the county’s roads and bridges department arranged the dumping in a misguided effort to shore up the supports at Wofford’s Crossing, a bridge over the river on County Road 326.

The San Antonio River Authority, however, got involved and said the dumping was illegal.

Last week, Karnes County commissioners voted in an emergency meeting to hire a contractor to clean up the piles of concrete, brick, rebar and other debris and that cleanup started Monday.

Liska Construction has already removed much of the debris and, on Tuesday, was constructing a ramp to allow a backhoe to get closer to the river to remove the remaining debris.

Owner Donnie Liska's dad helped build the bridge so this was a personal mission for him.

"We want nothing but the best for the public and the environment," Liska said.

Asked what he told Karnes County Judge Barbara Shaw about what the area under the bridge was going to look like after he was finished working, Liska said, "It's going to look like a park when we're finished."

Shaw came to the work site Tuesday to check on the progress and was pleased with the work being done.

"It looks great,” Shaw said. “Look at it compared to it did last week. You see a lot of the rubble's gone."

She said removal will cost about $35,000 and there will be more charges for disposal.

But she emphasized that for Karnes County this is an important project.

"This bridge is a legend,” Shaw said. “I mean it's Wofford's Crossing. We've all grown up here. I mean it's part of our history."

Representatives from the San Antonio River Authority were also on the scene Tuesday and were pleased with the progress.

Even Robert Busselman, who lives down from where the dumping took place and who criticized the county last week, was pleased.

"They followed through and they did what they had to do to get it taken care of,” Busselman said. “I'm happy with that, yes I am."

The cleanup could be finished in 10 days.

Karnes County commissioners met Tuesday afternoon to address the fate of the roads and bridges supervisor who ordered the dumping.

By a 3-2 vote, the 15-year county official was fired.

For a list of recent stories Brian Mylar has done, click here.

Drivers question Transguide traffic signs

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:50:35 GMT

Since the first Transguide signs went up in 1995, there have been at least 150 more erected -- bringing the total cost to purchase and install them at nearly $12.5 million.

"I thought it was the greatest thing that they could put up there so they could let us know when there's traffic out there and merge left, merge right, whatever," said motorist Jose Garcia.

Despite the benefits of the signs, many drivers have been disappointed over the years -- primarily by a perceived lack of utility.

"As far as traffic alerts, those aren't always up to date," said motorist Daniel Gomez.

"The majority of the signs that I see out there, they're not even on -- even the arrows to let you know to merge and stuff -- none of that is on," Garcia said.

The most common complaint is driving by a blank message board when there's been an accident.

"If they let you know (that) there's an accident, you might try an alternate route," said driver Kyle Claymore

Most people agree using the signs for AMBER Alerts is a good use of the technology, as well as traffic and congestion alerts.

Gomez said he thinks more consideration should be paid to the timing of the messages.

"The 'drink and drive' sign, I guess people think that's very pertinent during the daytime, but I don't think that's very relevant," Gomez said.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, as many as 20 percent of the signs are not working.

However, they refused to share documents about how much money has been spent on repairs.

They also refused to do an interview with the KSAT Defenders, instead sending a statement explaining TxDOT is prioritizing resources and is choosing to put dollars first toward pavement and bridges to preserve public safety.

"It would be nice if they were on all the time, even if it's letting you know that there's good traffic ahead," Claymore said.

For a list of recent stories April Molina has done, click here.

Incentives for downtown grocery questioned

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:32:02 GMT

Incentives designed to lure a grocery store to downtown San Antonio to serve a growing residential population are being questioned by a public official with grocery store experience.

County Commissioner Kevin Wolff said despite the growth in housing units downtown, the population cannot support a large grocery store right now.

From the Can Plant at the Pearl Brewery to the Twelve Twenty on Broadway to the Casa Blanca Lofts on North Alamo, downtown is booming with new residential development.

Lori Houston, the director of the city’s Center City Development Office, said the city wants to spur more downtown growth by bringing in a grocery store for residents, tourists and downtown workers.

"Those three users would help us generate enough spending potential for up to a 20,000-square-foot grocery store," Houston said.

She said a study found $10.1 million in potential spending yearly at a downtown grocery.

The city has advertised state and nationwide for proposals on a downtown grocery, offering fee waivers and a million-dollar incentive.

"We want to see that they have a sound proposal, that their development team has property, that it's a financially feasible proposal," Houston said.

A 4,200-square-foot store is now being remodeled at Brooklyn and North Alamo, but the city is looking for something at least 15,000 square feet.

But Wolff said the whole concept is bound to fail for the grocery, the city and taxpayers.

"I truly believe the council has itself in a pickle on this one," Wolff said.

Wolff's family has owned Sun Harvest and Green Fields Market.

He is currently looking at opening a small grocery at Broadway and Newell downtown or somewhere else, but said a big grocery will not work here yet.

"Can you cobble together incentives and all those other sorts of things and get something done? Yes,” Wolff said. “Can you sustain it? Not at this point."

He said if local grocery giant HEB has not recognized a market for a downtown grocery store by now, there is no market for it.

The proposals from grocers are due June 4.

At that time, the city will begin the process of looking through them to see if any will work and possibly start negotiations.

Any valid proposal could go before the city council in September.

Here is a short list of the newest residential properties being developed in downtown San Antonio:

Casa Blanca Lofts - 1542 N. Alamo 78215 - 17 for-sale propertiesE. Quincy - 1120 E. Quincy - 25 for-sale propertiesSOJO - 302 E. Josephine 78215 - 7 units

Click here for a look at the city’s presentation on downtown residential developments (PDF) and here for the incentives they’ve been given (PDF).

For a list of recent stories Brian Mylar has done, click here.

Church cell phone thefts have parishioners on guard

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:50:16 GMT

Two thefts of cell phones and a third attempt have parishioners at St. Matthew Catholic Church on guard and warning other religious leaders.

The thefts occurred earlier this month in the Adoration Chapel at St. Matthew, which is open 24 hours a day for prayer.

It was there on May 2, her birthday, while she was prayerfully reflecting on her life, that Tina Garcia became a crime victim.

"I came here to give thanks and praise to God for allowing me to be here for 55 years," Garcia said.

She said a man in another pew asked to borrow her cell phone and she gave it to him.

"And I looked and he was out the door," Garcia said.

She said the thief went out a door and headed toward the parking lot and that she came out in time to see a white car speeding away after nearly hitting another vehicle.

She filed a police report and the church captured part of the incident on video.

Photos taken from the video show the suspect and the car possibly involved.

They were placed inside the chapel to warn others.

Rev. Dennis Arechiga, pastor of St. Matthew, said a sign warning people to keep all of their personal effects to themselves has also been posted.

"I think it's horrible that while people are trying to be in a sacred, holy place and pray that someone would go and misuse their trust," Arechiga said.

Father Dennis said despite cameras watching the chapel, another phone was stolen in the same way and there was a third attempt.

"I think this person is really preying on them because they're in a more vulnerable position," Arechiga said.

He said religious leaders should be aware of what is happening and be prepared to take action.

He said St. Matthew is already reviewing security measures.

Garcia tried to track her iPhone through the Apple Store, but the thief had apparently turned it off.

For a list of recent stories Brian Mylar has done, click here.

Expert: Peeping Toms can use computer cameras

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:06:36 GMT

As chief security officer for Aces Private Investigation, Ryan Birdsell has been paid to be both the watcher and the watcher's watcher.

"A particular time, we had a client that wanted to watch her husband while she was gone out of town. She believed that he was cheating and it was an infidelity case and what we were doing is we would randomly turn the webcam on a different periods of time," Birdsell said.

While the majority of private cases are infidelity cases, Birdsell points out it could just as easily be a stranger.

"Gaining remote access can be very easy for any individual, whether they're here in San Antonio or across the sea in Russia," Birdsell said.

Birdsell said one of the more memorable cases was a lady who came to their firm to report videos she found of herself on the internet.

"We found traffic that was suspicious coming from another country and, basically, they would record her at different hours in her personal life, and after they had recorded her, they took those videos and they had placed them on the internet," Birdsell said.

The threat of being spied on is greater than it was five years ago, because most smart phones, tablets and laptops come with built-in cameras.

The software is installed remotely in the same way you might get a virus.

"We have things called 'drive-by downloads,' that just by clicking on a link and going to a website, it surreptitiously installs software on your computer," said Cyber Expert Rayford Sims, from the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security.

One of the best ways to figure out if you're being watched is to see if the computer camera's indicator light is on and one of the easiest, most effective ways to protect against spying is to cover the camera with a small piece of paper.

Sims said with cybercrimes like these, money is the driver, but jealousy and malice can be, too, hence the word "malware."

For a list of recent stories April Molina has done, click here.

KSAT Defenders uncover illegal dumping near river in Karnes County

Wed, 15 May 2013 02:50:54 GMT

Karnes County has agreed to remove about 30 dump truck-loads of debris that was dumped under a bridge over the San Antonio River on authority of the county’s road and bridge supervisor.

The bridge is known as Wofford's Crossing and underneath it, sometimes jutting out above the river, is everything from cement, tile, rebar and wood to other debris.

Nearby resident Robert Busselman hesitated to describe it. "I can't say that on camera, really, but it's a dump," he said.

Busselman said the county trashed a treasured place. "We spend a lot of time in this river,” Busselman said. “We fish in it. All of us grew up on this bridge here."

The county worker’s misguided dumping was a well-intended effort to shore up bridge supports.

Karnes County Judge Barbara Shaws said the Texas Department of Transportation has indeed acknowledged that work does need to be done.

However, Steven Schauer, of the San Antonio River Authority, said this is not the way to do it.

"All this does pose a flooding hazard for that area,” Schauer said. “It's not really going to protect the bank from erosion."

He said it is also a safety hazard for swimmers and boaters.

“We are now working with Karnes County to have that area cleaned up,” Schauer said. “All of that material is going to be removed."

Shaw said the debris came from the old Karnes City hospital, which is being torn down.

"There should have been more thought put into this," Shaw said.

She said there was apparently a verbal agreement between the demolition contractor at the hospital site and the county's road and bridge supervisor.

But Shaw said the county will make good on this mess.

"We're going to clean it up,” Shaw said. “That's what's going to happen. We are going to work with the San Antonio River Authority and TCEQ. We are going to do whatever we have to make that river be like it should be for the citizens that live along that river bank."

Shaw does not know how long the project will take and worries about the cost.

Karnes County is already scraping to find money to fix roads torn up by trucks from the Eagle Ford Shale.

Residents had initial concerns that the debris from the old hospital was contaminated by asbestos, but the river authority says the asbestos was safely removed before the hospital was torn down.

For a list of recent stories Brian Mylar has done, click here.