SAN ANTONIO - More than 230 retaining walls were built in San Antonio without permits.
The News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters got a hold of the planning and development’s master list that shows retaining walls built near apartment complexes, in neighborhoods, and even near schools were originally built without permits.
While that may sound a little scary, San Antonio’s Planning and Development Director, Rod Sanchez, told us this means local developers are now coming forward, applying for permits and proving their walls are safe.
"When the wall collapsed at Rivermist, I think everyone was a little bit nervous. And sure, they started looking at the walls in their neighborhoods, wondering if there were permits pulled and if they were designed by engineers.”
News 4 WOAI was the first to tell you that the developer for the Hills at Rivermist, Centex, built this wall without a permit. Since the collapse, the city has been working with local developers to make things right.
"We reached out to the builders,” Sanchez said. “We asked for their cooperation to pull permits for the walls they've built over the last three years. And we got it. So, I think we've done a lot to restore the public's confidence in those walls."
This document the Trouble Shooters got a hold of lists the developers who recently applied for permits and the location of their retaining walls.
We spoke with Gary Joeris. His company applied for seven permits, including one for Pease Middle School off Hunt Lane and Potranco on the West side.
"We had all the information on hand anyhow. So we thought it would be better to just get it in and be more proactive," Joeris explained.
Joeris General Contractors has never had any issues with their retaining walls. But they quickly applied for their permits to prove their walls are being built correctly and they're safe.
We showed Pete Velletri what we uncovered. His grandson is a 6th grader at Pease Middle School.
"Makes me feel much more at peace," Velletri admitted. “It makes me feel good to know that the city is going to monitor the building of the retaining walls and the contractors are doing their part."
250 applications were filed with the city for retaining wall permits. The permits will not be issued until all documents submitted to the Planning and Development Department are reviewed.
