Mirasol residents to select representatives

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Mirasol residents to select representatives

Web Posted: 04/25/2007 03:27 AM CDT

Ron

Express-News

San Express - San ,TX

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA042507.3B.mirasol.

meeting.349704a.html

In a step toward finding a " community solution " to the highly

publicized problems at Mirasol Homes, City Councilwoman Patti Radle

has called a meeting next week so residents can choose

representatives to begin negotiations with the parties involved.

" We need to hear from the residents. They need to decide who they

want to represent them, " Radle said Monday.

Mirasol residents, particularly at the Villas de Fortuna subdivision

on Precious Drive, have complained at City Hall and the Legislature

for months about construction problems and respiratory illnesses

they fear are related to the homes.

Villas de Fortuna, located near the intersection of Northwest 36th

and Fortuna streets, is one of five subdivisions in the $48 million

federally funded Mirasol Homes project. Developer Magi Realty was

paid $20 million to build 247 houses, 160 of them earmarked for sale

to low-income families. Construction began in 2000 and ended in

2001. KB Home was the subcontractor that built the houses.

SAHA is considering a plan to buy back Fortuna homes. Responding to

reports of breathing problems in the subdivision, SAHA has moved

about 20 people out of their homes while tests are completed.

While mold has been detected, there is no direct evidence linking

the illnesses to the houses.

The idea of a communitywide " dispute resolution " process was

introduced last week in a meeting between residents and the mayor's

office. Radle called for a meeting next Monday to allow Mirasol

residents to select representatives for the resolution process.

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• KENS video: SAHA homeowners push for bill to protect against home

builders

Homeowners advocate Janet Ahmad, who is working with the residents,

said she thinks they will attend Radle's meeting, but that " a whole

lot of discussion needs to take place before " before final decisions

are made on a process.

Meanwhile, the SAHA board is organizing its own community meeting

sometime this week to hear residents' complaints, Radle said.

" They need to show more engagement with the community, " Radle said

of SAHA board members. " We (city officials) shouldn't be the ones

the residents are coming to. "

Last week, KB Home released findings of its " limited mold

assessment " tests on three houses. They report the presence

of " common, household mold " but not a " a mold condition " that would

require remediation as defined in the Texas Department of State

Health Services Mold Assessment and Remediation Rules, said KB

spokesperson Teague.

" The third-party environmental experts we hired performed three more

assessments last week and four more are scheduled for this week, "

she said. " Beyond our contractual obligation and at no cost to

taxpayers, we are continuing to use third-party experts to perform

inspections which we believe will ultimately bear out our belief

that the homes we built are structurally sound and safe. "

Homeowner Battle, whose family has evacuated its home

after her husband and two children developed respiratory problems,

said SAHA needs to act quickly.

" Everyone should be moved out, " she said Monday. " Too many people

are sick. "

SAHA, however, is tightening the evacuation process. The agency is

requiring that doctors who recommended that patients be evacuated

verify under threat of federal felony charges that they stand by

their recommendation after reviewing the mold test results.

The verification is in line with federal policy, said

Villalobos, SAHA chief of staff.

SAHA has sued Magi Realty, seeking Mirasol contract documents and

$10,000 it said it overpaid the developer.

Magi President Rick acknowledged receiving a letter from

SAHA in 2004, but said " the letter had no documentation showing how

or what this $10,000 was for. As of today we show that SAHA still

owes Magi Realty for work completed, not the other way around. "

Further, said, " We are looking into the amount that we

show SAHA owes us and welcome any detail they have relating to

SAHA's claim that we owe them money. We will gladly deduct this

amount if documentation proves we owe this. "