Community Advisory Board

C/o Lamont Taylor, Board Chairman

Phone: (361) 445-8281
E-mail: ltshadow@gmail.com

July 11, 2023

Achille Alonzi
Division Administrator
Federal Highway Administration Texas Division
300 E. 8th Street, Room 826
Austin, Texas 78701

RE: Harbor Bridge Parks Development Plan

Dear Division Administrator, Achille Alonzi:

The following is submitted on behalf of the Community Advisory Board Sub-Committee in

response to the Harbor Bridge Parks Development Plan presented by the City of Corpus Christi.

I. Background

The Community Advisory Board (CAB) was established as a part of the Voluntary Resolution
Agreement (hereinafter “Agreement”) executed in December 2015 by the Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Subsequent to the
Agreement, in January 2016, the FHWA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) with regard to US
181 Harbor Bridge.

On August 15, 2018, the CAB, under the leadership of Former Board Chairman, Pastor Adam
Carrington, submitted a Community Livability Recommendation to TxDOT concerning T. C.
Ayers, Washington Coles, and Dr. H. J. Williams Parks. The recommendation addressed concerns
regarding Parks mitigation and requested performance under the Agreement.
To date, the CAB has held thirty-four meetings discussing demolition, construction, and relocation
in the Hillcrest and Washington Coles Communities, in addition to discussions relating to the
mitigation requirements for T. C. Ayers, Washington Coles, and Dr. H. J. Williams Parks.
TxDOT, Flatiron, and the Port of Corpus Christi have met with the CAB for thirty-three meetings
regarding the relocation of the residents, construction of the bridge, and the demolition of the
houses in the Hillcrest and Washington Coles Communities.
On May 11, 2023, during the quarterly meeting of the CAB, the City of Corpus Christi presented
a proposal (the “Harbor Bridge Parks Development Plan”) for the park system at T. C. Ayers,
Washington Coles, Ben Garza, and Dr. H. J. Williams Parks with the expectation that the CAB
would vote and subsequently agree to the proposed designs.
During this meeting, the CAB suggested that a Sub-Committee be formed to share its input on the
Harbor Bridge Parks Development Plan. A Sub-Committee was formed for this purpose.

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 II. Harbor Bridge Parks Development Plan
On May 30, 2023, the Sub-Committee met to provide input on the Harbor Bridge Parks
Development Plan submitted by the City of Corpus Christi for T. C. Ayers, Washington Coles, Ben
Garza, and Dr. H. J. Williams Parks.
The Sub-Committee met four times between May 30, 2023, and June 20, 2023.
As of June 29, 2023, the CAB Sub-Committee is not in agreement with the Harbor Bridge Parks
Development Plan as proposed by the City of Corpus Christi because the proposed design does
not address the municipal swimming pool and the enhancements in relation thereto.
Specifically, T.C. Ayers Park previously housed a community swimming pool. The pool was
situated in the underpass of the proposed Harbor Bridge and was demolished during the
construction of the loop at Interstate Highway 37 Frontage Road and Coke Street. Notwithstanding
this, 6.11 Section 4(F) of the ROD dictates that:
“The remainder of T.C. Ayers Park, including the municipal swimming pool, will be enhanced to
include:
• A trail around the park;
• A new pool changing facility;
• Resurfacing of the pool;
• Shade tree plantings; and
• New recreational turf.”1

Pursuant to this requirement, the CAB Sub-Committee requests that the Harbor Bridge Parks
Development Plan be modified to include a replacement municipal swimming pool and the
aforementioned enhancements as accepted by the FHWA, detailed by the ROD, and made
enforceable under the Agreement.

Additionally, the CAB Sub-Committee requests that the CAB be permitted to review and agree by
vote to the City of Corpus Christi’s design plans at the 60%, 90%, and final stage of execution of
the Harbor Bridge Parks Development Plan to ensure that all mitigation requirements are met in
compliance with the Agreement and that all improvements and enhancements otherwise agreed
upon are implemented.
We look forward to working with all parties involved to implement a Harbor Bridge Parks
Development Plan that complies with the requirements of the Agreement.

[Signatures on the following page]

1
See Record of Decision – US 181 Harbor Bridge – January 2016, § 6.11 Section 4(f),
https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/crp/notices/011916-rod.pdf

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 Sincerely,
/s/ Lamont Taylor
Lamont Taylor, Board Chairman
Tina Y. Butler
Jennifer Garcia
Gwendolyn Green
Alice Hawkins
Jestine Knox
La Marcus Knox
Joel Mumphord
Daniel Pena
Buford Randle
Claudia M. Rush
Henry Williams

Community Advisory Board Sub-Committee Members

CC:

Neiman Young
Assistant City Manager
City of Corpus Christi
neimany@cctexas.com

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