Fernando Canseco is tired. He’s tired that his property is a dumping point for stormwater runoff. It’s a problem his family’s fought since 2001.
“This is not the first time that we’ve tried to address the city with this issue,” Canseco said. “We’ve actually gone through this about four times already.”
Drainage pipes carry water from as far as seven blocks away. Canseco says every time it rains, those pipes empty onto his property, flooding the land and creating a nuisance for neighbors.
“This is a mosquito haven for these residences and neighborhoods around here,” he said. “And there’s nothing the city can do about it because the city says this is private property.”
The flooding is just one of the issues here, though. According to Canseco, because he and his family aren’t allowed to build, they’re constantly having to clean up trash left behind by homeless camped out on his property.
“It’s a domino effect,” said Canseco. “If the city pumps in water, the trees are gonna grow wildly, transients are going to be attracted to this area, and they’re gonna leave the trash behind.”
Canseco says he’s tried to work with the city on a solution, but keeps ending up without satisfaction.
“People just want to wash their hands and sweep it under the rug and think we’ll go away,” said Canseco. “We’ve tried to accomplish things going about it the right way and civilly. Unfortunately we’re gonna have to go through another direction.”
According to Canseco, those other directions include possible legal action against the city.
District 4 Councilman Greg Smith told KRIS 6 News that city staff told him there’s a conservation easement on the property which limits what Canseco can do with the land.
And unless Canseco can get that easement removed, there’s probably nothing he can do.
