What part of "compromise" don't the retirees advocating for a trail-only use for the abandoned Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way between FM 802 and Alton Gloor understand?
Even their champion, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño told them that the city and county have already been in negotiations with major developers who want to bring their commercial developments to the area and need a road to move their goods in and out of the corridor.
Commissioner Rose Gowen, who rode into reelection on the bicycle handles of that constituency,
seems to accept it also.
So did Cameron County Pct. 2 commissioner Alex Dominguez, whose jurisdiction covers all of the area of contention.
But it came as a bucket of cold water to the mostly retired – and let's say it, white – bike and hike trail advocates who don't want a road anywhere near there who were thoroughly disappointed when they heard those they thought were on their side that no road would be built.
People were not only upset. They were crying.
It is as if they had been led to believe by Gowen and Treviño that they would chain themselves to the remaining railroad switches rather than give in to the road.
The local daily quoted a resident who summarized their feelings.
“I’m upset because I hear those words that are used, compromise, and when you hear those words, that means that it’s not a certain thing. You’re not fully behind us and what the (county) commissioners court just did, voting for tax abatements. I feel like all of this is kind of tied in, and there’s definitely some stuff that’s not being presented to light,” Brownsville resident Josette Cruz said.
Among the plans that were mentioned at the meeting were four-star hotel convention center,a lagoon where kayaking and aquatic sports would be encouraged, a Super HEB store that would need ingress-egress to do its business, and numerous other commercial ventures.
The hike and bike advocates seem to have convinced the county and city that the stretch between the railroad switch yards near Fronton Street will be designated as strictly a hike and bike trial up to 802 behind Oliveira Park and the VICC, the longest stretch along the 8-mile right-of-way.
Apparently, that is not enough for them.