Texas State Students Express Their Thoughts on New HEB Location

By Clayton Kelley
Assistant News Director

Despite countless protest efforts, the third H-E-B, located at the intersection of Hunter Road and Wonder World Drive, has been approved by City Council in a four to three vote. Council members Lisa Prewitt, Melissa Derrick, and Jane Hughson were the dissenting vote in the previous September council board meeting.

In the midst of City Council elections happening in November, Ty Stonecipher, Texas State Senior and Water Resource major,  said this is a prime example of why eac
h vote counts.

“That’s the thing is you have to vote for people that are worth your time,” Stonecipher said. “Three of the City Council members actually walked out because they thought the proceedings were illegal and it shouldn’t be happen.”

He said this new location will be detrimental to the environment because all of the waste from the parking lot of H-E-B will be washed into Purgatory Creek, which is a major watershed to the San Marcos river.

“Nobody wants a nasty and polluted river filled with a bunch of candy wrappers and soda cans from people that walk into H-E-B, buy something real quick, and then just throw it on the ground when they’re done,” Stonecipher said.

Sean Dunlap, Urban and Regional Planning senior, said this 60 thousand square foot store is not in the best location.

“I honestly don’t even think we need another grocery store, especially for that part of town since we already have a strip shopping center with a Target in there,” Dunlap said. “That’s already a highly congested

intersection, especially at high traffic times during the day and a big store like that is only going to make it much worse.”

Leslie Sweets, HEB public affairs administrator, said she believes this location will better serve those who live on the south side of San Marcos. There is currently not a timeline on when construction will begin.