A Padre Island resident has filed an injunction against several parties in hopes to put a stop to a development in her neighborhood.
According to court documents filed in Nueces County District Court, lawyer Karen Connelly alleges the Padre Isles Property Owners Association (POA), Oaks Texas City LLC., DSW Homes and Robert Pruski Jr. have overstepped regulations for several houses along Palmira Avenue. These violations include issues such as the buildings’ height not being consistent with the homeowners' association covenant.
These houses are part of a multimillion dollar project sponsored and approved by the state of Texas designed to build homes for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, defendants stated in a written response.
Neighbors KRIS 6 spoke with support the idea of low-income houses coming into the area, but wish the buildings could match their own homes.
“Our HOA allowed these structures, which frankly tower down on adjacent properties, which affects their security — which affects their privacy and their safety in another Hanna or Harvey-like storm,” said homeowner Zack Pickett. “We, completely support affordable housing in the neighborhood. Absolutely. The question is whether these homes, these houses, the structures frankly, how they fit in with our own guidelines, with our own covenants, with our own restrictions, with our own standards.”
Pickett said it would have been easier for the community if the POA had been more transparent about what developments were happening in the community.
“All we want as homeowners is literally full disclosure and transparency from our HOA on how these projects were allowed, and we received none at this point,” he said.
Another homeowner, Shawn Carrigan, used to live in the Boulder, Colo. area.
“They look more like a house I would see in a subdivision in Houston or Dallas or Denver, versus a house that is here on the island that just has a little bit more aesthetic appeal,” she said. “They are a little bit of an eyesore, they don’t really look like the rest the homes in the community, don’t have an Island feel.”
The civil case is set to continue on Thursday before Nueces County District Judge Inna Klein.
POA would not comment on the case, but stated they are not required to inform area residents of upcoming developments.
