New Alamo Plaza plan drawing backlash from residents

Supporters say changes will help preserve history

SAN ANTONIO – "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and "Keep it how it is" are just a few phrases shouted out by angry residents Monday who were listening to a presentation about changing the layout of Alamo Plaza.

The latest renderings showing what Alamo Plaza could look like in a few years were not popular during a presentation today, despite changes made to a similar plan released earlier this summer.

“The glass walls are gone. There's 24/7 access to the site. We've added more access points to get on the site during museum hours,” said Roberto Trevino, District 1 councilman.

Trevino said the new plan also includes redirecting traffic and maintaining a similar route for the longtime Battle of Flowers Parade, which in years' past has traveled in front of the Alamo. 

“This is a historic city. They're destroying our history,” said Perry Donop, who opposes the changes.

What hasn't changed is the plan to move the Alamo Cenotaph, a huge monument which right now sits adjacent to the Alamo.

“It is in the actual center of the historic footprint of the Alamo battlefield,” said Susan Green, who is also against moving the cenotaph.

Officials with the Texas General Land Office and the Alamo Master Plan Management Committee who are helping to coordinate the proposed changes said moving the cenotaph 500 feet south, near the edge of Alamo Plaza, as proposed, will help recapture the site's historical significance.

“That means turning this into an outdoor museum that honors the history that happened here. The cenotaph is 104 years after the battle, so its 20th-century structure (is) out of context,” Bryan Preston, communications director for the Texas General Land Office.

“We have 12,000 people who have signed a petition that don't want to move the cenotaph,” said Lee White, who is against moving the cenotaph.

“We're not getting rid of the cenotaph. We're simply putting it in a location that doesn't disturb the sensitive burial grounds,” Trevino said.

Immediately after Monday's meeting, there was a private meeting closed off to the public. The City Council is expected to vote on the plan in September. If it passes, Trevino hopes the project will be completed by 2024.

Alamo Master Plan Letter by Mary Claire Patton on Scribd


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