EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 A vacant lot in East El Paso has become a renewed safety concern after storms pushed large pipes from the property into a busy roadway along Gateway Boulevard West near Airway Boulevard, prompting questions about who is responsible for securing the site and when the problem will be fixed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow it\u2019s a safety concern. Whenever there\u2019s a rainstorm, whenever there\u2019s a windstorm, these things fall onto the roadway,\u201d a viewer said.<\/p>\n
Video and photos shared with FitFam showed debris in the street after the storms, and TxDOT cameras captured the aftermath along the roadway. <\/p>\n
Cleanup crews were seen at the site earlier today.<\/p>\n
Emily Schmalz reports on Storms push pipes from East El Paso lot into Gateway Blvd West roadway, raising alarm (Credit: KFOX14)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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The viewer said he has been reporting problems at the property for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this issue\u2019s been going on for several years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said he first contacted the former City Representative Cassandra Hernandez about the property when she represented the area from 2020 to 2024. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they would tell me, we\u2019re looking into the area, we\u2019re looking into the problem, but nothing was addressed,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cThis was during COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the issue remained unresolved, the viewer said he contacted current area representative Deanna Rocha last September through letters, emails, and phone calls. <\/p>\n
He said he received a response in March stating the property is currently involved in municipal court litigation and the city is limited in what action it can take until that process is complete.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had to follow up with an email, and they tell me, well, code enforcement goes around. They shoo the homeless individuals. They keep track of the graffiti,\u201d the viewer said. <\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not enough.<\/p>\n
Rocha told KFOX14\/CBS4 she has been working on securing the property since last summer.<\/p>\n
City officials said responsibility for securing the pipes lies with the property owner, who has agreed to relocate the pipes farther from the roadway. <\/p>\n
The city said it will continue monitoring the site to ensure corrective action is taken.<\/p>\n
Property records show the lot is owned by Gateway El Paso LLC, which acquired it in 2024.<\/p>\n
KFOX14\/CBS4 attempted to contact the company, but no contact information was found. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, KFOX14\/CBS4 contacted the previous owner by phone and social media and was referred to a bankruptcy group involved in the property\u2019s transfer.<\/p>\n
The viewer said he remains concerned about the location and the volume of traffic nearby. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure I\u2019m not the only one that doesn\u2019t like seeing those items there along the freeway. We have thousands of vehicles passing through El Paso right next to the I-10,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n