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Sharon Elliott is still unsure about moving out of Houston’s Greater Fifth Ward through a $5 million voluntary relocation plan offered by the city.

For decades, the 64-year-old has lived just a block from Union Pacific Railroad’s old wood-preservation site, which leached chemicals throughout her neighborhood. Still, the idea of starting somewhere new is daunting, especially since she doesn’t know all the details of the city’s plan to move residents from the 42 properties located over the contaminated groundwater plume. 

It’s a sentiment felt by many of Elliott’s neighbors in Greater Fifth Ward, which is why when Houston’s new administration decided to put a 30-day pause on the relocation effort to give time for residents to understand the move, she said it was needed. 

“No one’s knocked on my door to explain anything to me,” Elliott said. “I don’t just want to move anywhere – what if it’s a worse neighborhood? That’s a lot to ask of us.”

After a heated discussion at City Council earlier this month, Mayor Whitmire and council members agreed to postpone the vote to provide $2 million of the total $5 million to the City of Houston and Houston Land Bank for the administration and management of the relocation process. The new date for the vote is Feb. 7. 

For months, many residents in Greater Fifth Ward and some council members expressed concerns that the plan was moving too fast, and that residents affected by the decision needed more information. 

“The plan to relocate residents is a work in progress, and we have a lot to do,” said Mayor Whitmire in a statement to the Houston Landing. “My team has held meetings with our partners, including the Land Bank, Land Trust, and Family Houston. We will consult with council members, coordinate with partners, and contact different levels of government to assist. I have also made it a priority to visit soon with the residents in the area.”

A $5 million relocation plan, originally crafted by the previous mayor, Sylvester Turner, was approved by the Council in September. 

‘We’re not ready’

For decades, residents have raised alarms about the health hazards in their neighborhood due to the old wood preservation site located at a still-operating railyard used by Southern Pacific Railroad. 

From 1899 to 1984, workers at the railyard used creosote, a tarry substance derived from coal and wood, to coat railroad ties. The chemicals in creosote contain several known carcinogens. Over time, these chemicals leached underground and spread out into the community, creating a groundwater plume of contamination under residential homes in Greater Fifth Ward. 

Union Pacific and the Environmental Protection Agency are testing the area to understand the full extent of the contamination. 

In the meantime, Turner’s administration and the city’s health department pushed to relocate residents as soon as possible. 

However, some residents and council members expressed concern about not knowing enough before the plan is put into effect. Council Member At-Large Letitia Plummer said she sent the previous administration a list of questions which were never answered. 

“Whitmire had a briefing with the health department and other entities that have been involved in the whole project – the Houston Land Bank, the Land Trust – and really realized everything I was sounding the alarms on. We’re not ready,” Plummer said in an interview. “We just did not do this the right way.” 

So far, of the 42 properties over the plume, nine owners and renters are considering taking the deal to relocate to another location. The city is offering homeowners up to $250,000 for their home and land to be used on like-for-like houses elsewhere. Renters will receive $10,000, according to the city. 

‘He needs to make good on his promises’

Sandra Edwards, a community activist who lives above the groundwater contamination, said she’s happy about the postponement. 

“You need to talk to the residents and find out what we want, how we want to proceed. This a deal on our life, but nobody was talking to us about this life,” Edwards said. “Now I’m hoping it’ll be like we’re at the table with the mayor, not on the menu.” 

Earlier on, she had felt that the proposal to move people was unclear, and the actual procedure for those interested was never truly explained. 

“Now we get more time to see what we want,” she said. 

Joetta Stevenson, another resident who lives just outside the plume, said while she’s glad the vote was postponed, Whitmire has a lot to do to gain the trust of the residents in Greater Fifth Ward. 

“Whitmire has got to come and talk with us,” she said. “He needs to make good on his promises.” 

During the Jan. 9 council meeting, council members also discussed how new construction is still being permitted by the city  in Greater Fifth Ward – in some cases directly across the street from the plume area. For residents and council members, this felt contradictory to also relocating residents voluntarily. 

“I know that there’s fear because there’s development happening in the area. If we can stop issuing permits, I mean, I’m saying let’s look at other ways to kind of protect the land over in that area,” said Tarsha Jackson, council member for District B and Greater Fifth Ward, at the meeting. “In Greenspoint, there are properties that flooded that cannot be built on anymore. Why can’t we do the same thing with Fifth Ward?” 

Arturo Michel, the city’s attorney, said the plan is to keep the properties over the plume from being redeveloped once a resident relocates. 

Jackson urged council to vote on the $2 million, but agreed to hold off until the mayor could take more time with the issue. 

“I think it’ll be really good government and fair to the residents if we give ourselves a month,” Whitmire said. “I will share my briefings and involvement with each and every one of you.” 

As for Elliott, she said it’d be nice if wherever she moved she could keep her same neighbors. For the most part, the older generation of Fifth Ward residents know and trust each other. If Elliott’s daughter – who is autistic – walks off by chance, Elliott knows the neighbors will take care of her. 

In a new neighborhood, that might not be the case. 

“Moving us is a lot more complicated than you’d think,” she said. “We have lives here. You can’t just uproot that.” 

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