CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas —
Starting at the corner of the proposed Inner Harbor desalination facility site, dozens of members and supporters of the Hillcrest Residents Association, or H.R.A., marched in protest over a possible desal plant being placed in the historic, Black Hillcrest community.
Lifelong resident of the Hillcrest neighborhood and treasurer of the HRA, LaMarcus Knox says his home deserves better.
"It's very personal. When you come home or you try to build a home for your family, everyday you have to come home wondering if you're going to have a neighborhood or not," Knox said.
"Industry in the city is encroaching or trying to steal it from you. I don't think anybody in the city would like to come home for 40 years worrying about if they're going to have a neighborhood or not."
The city received its second of two permits needed from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to secure the seawater desalination facility earlier this month.
That didn't stop attorney Matt Manning from informing residents about their rights and how to prepare for the possibility of eminent domain.
"I wanted to bring forth the law, because there are a lot of people who are confused about eminent domain and how it would work. I wanted people to be armed with the information of not only what is expected to happen here, but what has to happen for that process to go appropriately," Manning said.
Manning says he wants residents to fully understand their rights to the eminent domain process while also encouraging them to ask the right questions.
"The reality is, with something like eminent domain, it's a hot button issue and it very often dovetails with racial issues. There's not always clarity on what the intention is, so I wanted to be very clear on what to ask and what to expect in that process," he said.