By John Rooney
Pete Rivera, Executive Committee member of the Austin Sierra Club and Springdale-Airport Neighborhood Association President, has continued to successfully organize the community to protect the Red Bluff area of East Austin. After successfully advocating for the city to clean up decades of illegal dumping on the property, SANA and Hog Pen Neighborhood Association members, along with ATX EJ, Austin Sierra Club, and other allies, came out to testify before the Urban Growth Policy and Development Joint Committee of the Environmental Commission on March 25. Dozens offered testimony on the importance of the area to the community and on their desire to see the land consolidated and protected as a natural area. Many requested nature trails to help with area connectivity and access to nature in the parkland deficient area of Austin. The Committee unanimously passed a resolution in favor of the group, urging the full Environmental Commission to recommend to City Council that the tracts be consolidated and protected.
On April 5, after hearing testimony from Pete and others, the Environmental Commission unanimously did just that. It was onto City Council from there, where Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria sponsored a resolution directing the City Manager to identify options for connectivity improvements on La Loma Trail, in order to direct a community-driven planning process for preserving the Red Bluff tract for public use. The resolution passed, and the City Manager is to report back to City Council within 120 days.
Congratulations to Pete, SANA, and all of the neighbors who have worked to bring light to and address the environmental injustices that have been taking place in their community!
