Touching Points in "Losing Ground"

“Losing Ground”, which is an article located in the San Antonio Express News, focuses on a law where real estate developers, go in and around the city and touch other organizations or people. In other words, this can be called the grandfather clause, and it basically talks about the vested right laws. AGUA is the organization which protects the Edwards Aquifer, and one of the most important parts of the aquifer is the aquifer’s recharge zones and this is where water is put back into the aquifer. In 1995, this ordinance was made, because many people believed that they could get around this vested rights issue. From reading this article, I concluded that many real estate developers are benefiting from the vested right issues because they don’t have to go to city council meetings and so this ends up making their job more straightforward and simpler.

Another fact that has been stated is that the lands in the Hill Country have been torn up into pieces and there is not much left of the lands. The main reason for this is because of country development, and along with this, much of the pastures have been bulldozed. Other things, such as grasses, that could not have been bulldozed, have been ripped up, as to where there is not much left to the land itself. This is not only happening here in San Antonio; it is also being done in places around my community, which consists of about 500 people, and this is because more and more people are moving from the cities into the country and are starting to build homes. But I feel that if people want to experience the country life, let them because it is filled up with pastures, grasses, dirt roads, tons of places to hunt, and thousands and thousands of trees. Overall, I believe that the Hill Country is a bulky and stunning place. But yes, I do believe that people want to live outside of the city, but I do not see a need to be tearing up this place outside of San Antonio that seems to be enjoyable. If families or individuals want to live in the country, move to the country, where it’s filled with pastures, so that we don’t have to be tearing down these things just for country development.

In conclusion, I believe that many people in and around San Antonio, do not know what is going on with our lands, so this helps them to develop and understand, what is happening to our lands in and around the Hill Country. But, more importantly, from reading “Losing Ground”, it is talking more and more about how the real estate developers are getting around city ordinances and the vested right laws. The article itself, gives out a vast understanding, because of the fact that it is explaining exactly what this law is, and how many developers are basically using it. As I was reading this article, at first I had absolutely no idea what the vested rights laws was, along with AGUA and its recharge zones, but as an ending result and reading “Losing Ground”, I found it to be extremely useful. I also believe that the citizens of San Antonio should stick together because many developers and individuals, who live in and around the San Antonio area, do not seem to care what is going on. So therefore, I believe that most people should either read about it or talk to neighbors or friends about this.
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