| Residents Fight HISD Over Homes
April 28, 2003 Click2Houston.com (KPRC) 8181 Southwest Freeway Houston, Texas 77074 713-222-2222 The Houston Independent School District (HISD) said that it needed land for a future school site, but News2Houston uncovered dirt behind the deal. In an exclusive story, the Investigators found families forced out of their homes, but possible problems behind the project did not stop there. A plot of land near downtown Houston was intended to be the site of a new high school. But to get this land, HISD had to use the power of eminent domain to force people out of their homes. But some criticized HISD for wielded this power without first doing its' homework. "This (house) is where I came home from the service. This is where I was a boy scout, where I learned my faith. Where I learned all of who I am today," said Anthony Pizzitola, who is fighting for his home. By most accounts, Pizzitola is fighting a losing battle to save the home his family built in 1926. "This house will be bulldozed. My memories will be bulldozed, tossed into the street and they cannot even tell me why," Pizzitola said. The reason Pizzitola is losing his home is so a new high school for the performing and visual arts can be built on the land. His house is in the way and a causality of a process called eminent domain. "We just said, 'We'd live our life out (here)' and then all of a sudden, boom, they say we've got to leave," said Bert Miles, who lost his home. Bert and Colleen Miles are all too familiar with the process of eminent domain. HISD spent nearly $4 million forcing the Miles, as well as an entire neighborhood, out of their homes so a new school could be built. "I just broke into tears. I just cried. I was devastated," Colleen Miles said. Eight years later, the land is still vacant. The district said that it misjudged the need for a school in this area and still has no concrete plans to ever build one. "They could care less. They could care less about anything they've done right now," Pizzitola said. Which brings us back to Pizzitola's battle with HISD. But the fight over his home is only one of many problems the district is facing. When HISD spent close to $8 million of tax dollars taking the land from property owners, it forgot to check one thing -- whether there's a civil war black soldier's cemetery on the land. Looking at the land, you'll notice that tree stumps have not been removed. That's because the Texas Historical Commission has told the district it needs to undergo full archeological testing before it does any more work on this property. It's a process costing you nearly $100,000. "All we have, and the Texas Historical Society concurred with us on, is that we have a bunch of hearsay, but no solid graves or evidence at this point," said Heather Browne with HISD. But if graves are found, then you will have to pick up the tab for removing and reburying the bodies. And there's another problem. In 1998, a private group called The HSPVA Friends Inc. made a deal with HISD. If the district would build a new high school for the performing and visual arts, then the "friends" would come up with half of the $30 million needed to build the school. Nearly five years later, that deal has not been formalized. "We haven't heard a word from the "friends" about how their fundraising is going and I suspect the worst," said Jeff Shadwick, with the HISD school board. Shadwick is a veteran school board member. He voted against taking the land before the "friends" came up with their half of the money. But since the land has already been acquired, can HISD still build the school? "We have every confidence there will be a school built on that land," Browne said. News2Houston's Robert Arnold asked Browne, "Where are you going to get the other $15 million?" "That's something we're still negotiating at this time," Browne said. So, while HISD works its problems with possible graves and a $15 million gap in its funding, Pizzitola is waging one final legal battle to save his family's home. "There is that minor glimmer of hope. However, they can bulldoze it at any second and have told us that they probably will," Pizzitola said. The search for possible graves should be finished in the next couple of months. Pizzitola's legal battle with HISD will go to court this fall. As for the HSPVA friends, no one in HISD or on the school board had an answer as to how much money the group has raised. News2Houston tried to speak with the president of the "friends," but calls were not returned. News2Houston was told that he was out of town on business. However, we were also told the group has hired a professional fundraiser. |