Explosion At Downtown Metal Recycling Center Reminds Us of City Commission Protest

An Easter morning explosion at a metal recyling center in downtown Brownsville reminds us of the protest at the City Commission back in January as a similar facility was being proposed near residential housing. The early morning explosion and fire rocked the area near 14th and Coolidge Street at Jim Wilkinson Iron and Metal, Inc. The flames extended to several tankers inside the facility, causing them to explode.

Last January Realtor/Developer Dutch Fischer argued vociferously about the relative safety of a similar operation proposed for a residential area. At the time over 400 residents signed a petition opposing the plant and several spoke out publicly against the proposal before the City Commission.

Here is what Mean Mister Brownsville reported back in January:


The 1/3/12 City Commission meeting was inconsequential except for the democracy in action of citizens speaking out against a recycling center in their neighborhood. With unanimous approval from the Planning & Zoning Department headed by Ben Medina and a pro-business city commission, is there any doubt that without the protest this recommendation gets rubber stamped? The 444 who signed the petition against the plant and the citizens who spoke against it at the public hearing literally stopped this project in its tracks, at least for the time being.
Almost as noteworthy to me is the approach, bearing and attitude of the developer/broker/realtor Dutch Fisher, representing the recycling plant before the commission. It is almost a classic example of how NOT to sell an idea or persuade relative to a concept. Fisher displayed an arrogance, an almost unhidden derision for those who dared to question his pet project rarely seen in a public forum. It's actually difficult to imagine the man selling a house, let alone a recycling plant in a residential neighborhood.