Neighbor News
Without proper notice, TXDOT tears down bays affected by fire.
TXDOT wanted to tear down all 24 bays today, even those not affected by the 4-2-21 fire. TXDOT wants to tear down other bays on 4-16-21.
Austin,Texas-Some of the residents were not ready when TXDOT arrived before 8 a.m to tear down their homes Monday morning. A few still had a lot of personal items in their bays at the Texas Governor’s Camp. The displaced resident of Unit 4 said the Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) had promised to help him move his personal belongings but had not. Another said one woman didn’t get to move any of her things. He started moving her things as TXDOT watched. Neither resident wanted to photographed during the demolition. Finally, TOOF began helping these residents as TXDOT stood nearby and I took pictures.
On Friday April 9, a TXDOT notice was posted on bays 1-10 to be out by Sunday April 11. The day of the fire, TOOF had told these residents that demolition would take place on 4-16-21. Today is April 12. Today, a TOOF employee told me that TXDOT wanted the April 9 notice posted on all 23 bays. He said he told TXDOT it would be “impossible” for the residents in the undamaged bay to be moved out by today.
About an hour after the demolition started, TOOF began posting TXDOT notices on bays 12-24 to be out by Wednesday April 15. The notice states that TXDOT plans to demolish them on April 16. This is the first notice from TXDOT these resident have received. On Wednesday April 6, Diann Hodges, TXDOT PIO, said TOOF had no contract with TXDOT but they were working on it.
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The bays at the Governor’s camp are housed in three buildings with 11, 3, and 10 bays respectively. Today, the building with the four units affected by the fire was removed.
