Vacant lot near elementary school creates safety concerns for families walking to Rose Shaw Elementary
I’ve been reporting on vacant properties, overgrown lots, and neighborhood safety concerns for the past few months, having multiple conversations with city council members and officials about these ongoing issues.
“You know because you called me today I’m going to get a report from code enforcement and I’m going to see how many cases are open,” Eric Cantu, District 3 Councilman, said in August.
“What do you say to residents who are concerned about the many vacant properties in their neighborhoods? Oh, I hear it all the time. I mean it’s unfortunate,” District 1 Councilman Everett Roy said in September.
Vacant lot near elementary school creates safety concerns for families walking to Rose Shaw Elementary
But the battle between neighbors and vacant lots in the city continues.
One viewer reached out to KRIS 6 News about a vacant lot on Nogales Street and Carver Drive. He told us he’s worried about his grandchild’s safety as they walk to and from Rose Shaw Elementary School. This issue has been going on since August 2024.
While visiting the lot, I met Velma Castillo, who was on her way to pick up her granddaughter.
“You can’t even walk on the sidewalk here,” Castillo said.
The lot also contained beer cans and other trash scattered throughout. Castillo says this lot makes it a burden to pick up students on this street.
“A lot of families walk through here. Mothers, grandmothers, they walk through here as well to wait right here for the kids. And now they can’t get through here. As you can see,” Castillo said.
After speaking to Velma, we saw students and pedestrians trying to find their way through the tall grass.
“It hasn’t been cut in a while. This is the highest I’ve ever seen it,” Castillo said.
Like Velma, many neighbors wish the city would do more to address vacant property issues.
“Code enforcement should put signs out here for this,” Castillo said.
I dug deeper and found the owner of the lot lives in Beaumont, Texas.
I contacted code enforcement for answers on what steps are being taken. They told me code compliance has inspected the property 17 times since March 2024 and cleaned four times since August 2024.
Because the owner is deceased, no citations have been issued, but a new work order is pending and will be expedited.
As I continued my research in the car, I noticed crews were sent out in real time.
“I’m currently editing in the car.. And someone has been sent out to clear this empty lot,” I said.
“This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.”
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