Eastern Triangle

Eastern Triangle

Discription and History

History of the Birth of the Eastern Triangle

In late August of 2006, the Neighborhood Resource Center of the City’s Planning Department began an outreach effort to get neighborhoods & communities to begin to establish long range planning concepts and goals for their areas.

I was invited to attend a workshop in September, 2006, and it was there that I began to be inspired to develop a community plan. It was there, that I met one of my now team members, Ms. Mary Coleman. She too, I think was inspired by the workshop.

It was shortly there after that I began studying the neighborhood and the surrounding area. The more I looked at the region, the more I realized that I was seeing a natural geographic triangle with my neighborhood association at the “Heart of the Triangle.” Thus, the vision and the Eastern Triangle was born.

With the help of a Planning Manager, Ms. Nixon-Mendez, I began to collect a great deal of information within the Triangle.

One way of telling how an area is involved, is if they exercise their right to vote, and indeed, the residents of the Eastern Triangle historically come out and vote in every election. I knew then, that the basis for the Vision becoming a reality was more than possible. And, in October of 2006, I met my other team member, Maria De La Garza.

From that point on, the organization process began! Many meetings later, the organization came together.

Our 3 member team began to grow, and we all came to realized that everyone was sharing in the Vision of the Eastern Triangle. The dynamics and the strengths are in the “Human Resources” of this very viable community. We are well integrated with every segment of this multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and of all faiths that is the foundation of our community.

It is in this spirit, that we are united in the improvement of our Quality of Life, in the development of Economic Growth and the Job opportunities that will come with it.

The following is what our goals are for the Eastern Triangle:

• Eastern Triangle Center Mall
• Eastern Triangle Residential Estates I, II & III
• Eastern Triangle Entertainment Center
• Eastern Triangle Library, City, County, and State Offices & Service Centers

The above-mentioned is only to name a few. We know without a doubt, that the Eastern Triangle of District 2 will be one of the most desirable areas of San Antonio, for Commercial and Residential Development.

See the attached The Express News Article dated August 29, 2007

Eager for real progress

Web Posted: 08/29/2007 02:29 PM CDT

Elaine Ayo
Express-News

From the windows of his restaurant in the 1700 block of South W.W. White Road, Eddie Chatman can see the signs of change: Two shopping centers are being remodeled, advertising new retail space on a stretch of road dotted with boarded storefronts and vacant lots.
"The problem is we're destined for it (development) later on, and we don't want to wait," said Chatman, who opened Chatman's Chicken 51/2 years ago. "Businesses like mine don't have the money to sit and wait."

Area residents agree that their slice of the Southeast Side often is overlooked, but not without potential.

Dubbed the Eastern Triangle, the area of roughly 12 square miles that runs east from Interstate 10 and Roland Avenue until just before Foster Road is the next one slated to work with the Planning and Community Development Department to create a community master plan.

"We have a vision for this triangle," said Maria De La Garza, one of the neighborhood association leaders who helped form a coalition that consists of neighborhoods, businesses, churches and community organizations that applied for assistance from the city.

Creating a master plan takes nine months to one year and if approved by the City Council will act as a decision-making guide for city departments but won't have any funds attached to it, according to Nina Nixon-Mendez, a planning manager at the Planning and Community Development Department.

"It's a big venture, no doubt about it, but it is long overdue," said Dan Martinez of the Dellcrest Area Neighborhood Association.


(Photos by Jerry Lara/Express-News)

With his granddaughter, Jada Jackson, Gary Haynes attends a Sunday service at St. Peter's Baptist Church at Bookertee and Lincolnshire. The church is in the Eastern Triangle on the Southeast Side.

A flag adorns the entrance of Rain Drop Florist along South W.W. White Road. Neighborhood associations, local businesses and churches in the Eastern Triangle are awaiting a five-year master plan for the area.

Martinez added that he feels the area often is overlooked because of its lower income levels.

The Eastern Triangle has an estimated population of 24,780 and an average household income of $27,246, with 19.3 percent of the population living below the poverty level, according to a demographic profile of the area prepared by the planning department and based on the 2000 Census.

"A lot of times, we lose good people to other areas, other cities because there aren't enough opportunities in San Antonio," said businessman Chatman, adding that attracting more development to the area is important because it will allow its current businesses to grow.

"Our kids don't see enough people in business to know that they can do it," Chatman said.

For De La Garza, the neighborhood association leader, being overlooked means not having sidewalks or speed bumps for the streets in Hein-Orchard, a neighborhood that is two streets wide and spans several blocks parallel to Martin Luther King Drive.

The neighborhood association formed about three years ago in response to traffic and street issues. And De La Garza knows that streets a few blocks away lack sidewalks.

"There is power in the numbers," De La Garza said.

The coalition has thus far garnered support from 16 area associations, she said, and is looking to reach people not in associations.

"These are the kind of people we want to reach, want to say 'Yes, it is happening, it's going to take a long time, but it is happening,'" De La Garza said.

"One problem that I see is convincing people it's not going to be right here, right now, that this is going to be long term," De La Garza said.

Though the planning department won't start work in the Eastern Triangle until next spring, Martinez said he is working to organize planning committees as soon as possible.

"We have a lot of people with a lot of expertise involved," Martinez said. "We're going to get a great deal of work done before we start working with the city."

In addition to identifying infrastructure problems, planning committees also will have an opportunity to "find out how zoning is determined and have some say in what businesses come into the area," said Mary Coleman, president of the association for the 140-home Dellcrest Forrest neighborhood off South W.W. White Road.

Personally, De La Garza would like to see more venues such as a shopping mall or a movie theater in the Eastern Triangle.

"It's like going across the country," De La Garza said about the trek her family makes to the Crossroads or Rolling Oaks malls.

"We have the space," she added.

About our association

History and Birth of Eastern Triangle

In late August of 2006, the Neighborhood Resource Center of the City’s Planning Department began an outreach effort to get neighborhoods & communities to begin to establish long range planning concepts and goals for their areas.

I was invited to attend a workshop in September, 2006, and it was there that I began to be inspired to develop a community plan. It was there, that I met one of my now team members, Ms. Mary Coleman. She too, I think was inspired by the workshop.

It was shortly there after that I began studying the neighborhood and the surrounding area. The more I looked at the region, the more I realized that I was seeing a natural geographic triangle with my neighborhood association at the “Heart of the Triangle.” Thus, the vision and the Eastern Triangle was born.

With the help of a Planning Manager, Ms. Nixon-Mendez, I began to collect a great deal of information within the Triangle.

One way of telling how an area is involved, is if they exercise their right to vote, and indeed, the residents of the Eastern Triangle historically come out and vote in every election. I knew then, that the basis for the Vision becoming a reality was more than possible. And, in October of 2006, I met my other team member, Maria De La Garza.

From that point on, the organization process began! Many meetings later, the organization came together.

Our 3 member team began to grow, and we all came to realized that everyone was sharing in the Vision of the Eastern Triangle. The dynamics and the strengths are in the “Human Resources” of this very viable community. We are well integrated with every segment of this multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and of all faiths that is the foundation of our community.

It is in this spirit, that we are united in the improvement of our Quality of Life, in the development of Economic Growth and the Job opportunities that will come with it.
The following is what our goals are for the Eastern Triangle:
• Eastern Triangle Center Mall
• Eastern Triangle Residential Estates I, II & III
• Eastern Triangle Entertainment Center
• Eastern Triangle Library, City, County, and State Offices & Service Centers

The above-mentioned is only to name a few. We know without a doubt, that the Eastern Triangle of District 2 will be one of the most desirable areas of San Antonio, for Commercial and Residential Development.

See The Express News Article dated August 29, 2007

Web Posted: 08/29/2007 02:29 PM CDT

Elaine Ayo
Express-News

Eager for real progress

From the windows of his restaurant in the 1700 block of South W.W. White Road, Eddie Chatman can see the signs of change: Two shopping centers are being remodeled, advertising new retail space on a stretch of road dotted with boarded storefronts and vacant lots.
"The problem is we're destined for it (development) later on, and we don't want to wait," said Chatman, who opened Chatman's Chicken 51/2 years ago. "Businesses like mine don't have the money to sit and wait."

Area residents agree that their slice of the Southeast Side often is overlooked, but not without potential.

Dubbed the Eastern Triangle, the area of roughly 12 square miles that runs east from Interstate 10 and Roland Avenue until just before Foster Road is the next one slated to work with the Planning and Community Development Department to create a community master plan.

"We have a vision for this triangle," said Maria De La Garza, one of the neighborhood association leaders who helped form a coalition that consists of neighborhoods, businesses, churches and community organizations that applied for assistance from the city.

Creating a master plan takes nine months to one year and if approved by the City Council will act as a decision-making guide for city departments but won't have any funds attached to it, according to Nina Nixon-Mendez, a planning manager at the Planning and Community Development Department.

"It's a big venture, no doubt about it, but it is long overdue," said Dan Martinez of the Dellcrest Area Neighborhood Association.


(Photos by Jerry Lara/Express-News)

With his granddaughter, Jada Jackson, Gary Haynes attends a Sunday service at St. Peter's Baptist Church at Bookertee and Lincolnshire. The church is in the Eastern Triangle on the Southeast Side.



A flag adorns the entrance of Rain Drop Florist along South W.W. White Road. Neighborhood associations, local businesses and churches in the Eastern Triangle are awaiting a five-year master plan for the area.


Martinez added that he feels the area often is overlooked because of its lower income levels.

The Eastern Triangle has an estimated population of 24,780 and an average household income of $27,246, with 19.3 percent of the population living below the poverty level, according to a demographic profile of the area prepared by the planning department and based on the 2000 Census.

"A lot of times, we lose good people to other areas, other cities because there aren't enough opportunities in San Antonio," said businessman Chatman, adding that attracting more development to the area is important because it will allow its current businesses to grow.

"Our kids don't see enough people in business to know that they can do it," Chatman said.

For De La Garza, the neighborhood association leader, being overlooked means not having sidewalks or speed bumps for the streets in Hein-Orchard, a neighborhood that is two streets wide and spans several blocks parallel to Martin Luther King Drive.

The neighborhood association formed about three years ago in response to traffic and street issues. And De La Garza knows that streets a few blocks away lack sidewalks.

"There is power in the numbers," De La Garza said.

The coalition has thus far garnered support from 16 area associations, she said, and is looking to reach people not in associations.

"These are the kind of people we want to reach, want to say 'Yes, it is happening, it's going to take a long time, but it is happening,'" De La Garza said.

"One problem that I see is convincing people it's not going to be right here, right now, that this is going to be long term," De La Garza said.

Though the planning department won't start work in the Eastern Triangle until next spring, Martinez said he is working to organize planning committees as soon as possible.

"We have a lot of people with a lot of expertise involved," Martinez said. "We're going to get a great deal of work done before we start working with the city."

In addition to identifying infrastructure problems, planning committees also will have an opportunity to "find out how zoning is determined and have some say in what businesses come into the area," said Mary Coleman, president of the association for the 140-home Dellcrest Forrest neighborhood off South W.W. White Road.

Personally, De La Garza would like to see more venues such as a shopping mall or a movie theater in the Eastern Triangle.

"It's like going across the country," De La Garza said about the trek her family makes to the Crossroads or Rolling Oaks malls.

"We have the space," she added.

Planning Team

All stakeholders may not be listed below.
More to follow...

1. PLANNING TEAM:

The “Planning Team” is composed of the following stakeholders who are and have been invited to be part of the planning team, but not limited thereto.

• Dellcrest Area Neighborhood Association
• Hein-Orchard Neighborhood Association
• Dellcrest Forest Neighborhood Association
• Wheatley Heights Action Group
• Southeast Side Neighborhood Association
• Artesia Community Guild
• Lakeside Neighborhood Association
• Royal View Neighborhood Association
• Huntleigh Park Residents Association
• Eastgate Neighborhood Association
• Skyline Park Neighborhood Association
• East S.A. Crime Coalition
• San Antonio Fighting Back
• YMCA
• Metro Alliance
• St. Benedicts Catholic Church
• Eastwood Community Baptist Church
• Community of Faith Ministries
• Area Schools
• Area Businesses
• John & Frank Sturman (Land Owner)
• Boralis Incorporated (Land Owner)
• Mr. Charles Butt, HEB Grocery Co. (Land Owner)
• Weldon & Nancy Whitis (Land Owner)
• GW Development Inc. (Land Owner)
• Melvin Investments Corporation (Land Owner)
• John M. Schaefer (Land Owner)
• Joe Keller Jr. (Business & Land Owner)
• Herald J. Rakowitz (Land Owner)
• Wal-Mart (Business & Land Owner)
• Area Banks

Email us
danmartinez@satx.rr.com