Elgin — Residents and descendants of the Litig community pressed the Elgin City Council on Dec. 2 to stop plans for a wastewater treatment plant proposed for 18706 Litig Road, saying the parcel is culturally sensitive and that state historic reviews were not completed before annexation.

Gina Gonzalez, who said she reviewed developer materials from the previous meeting, told council staff that the Texas Historical Commission advised a survey "is required due to high probability for historic sites" and that she brought artifacts to show the land’s historic use. "This wastewater treatment plant will push Litig to extinction," Gonzalez said, noting the site is roughly 0.63 miles from a marked cemetery and urging broader notification to affected neighbors.

Several other speakers described family ties and decades of stewardship of the area. Alana Gonzales, who identified herself as a direct descendant of the Morrow family, said the tract is a documented historic Black homestead and asked the council to "de-annex and reject the industrial zoning request to protect" the community and its cemetery. Pam Fowler, president of the Litig Cemetery committee, said volunteers and family members have preserved headstones and maintain an annual cemetery cleanup, and asked the council to find an alternate location for the facility.

Speakers also raised environmental and public‑health concerns. Christopher Scott asked whether the plant would accept sewage from miles away and repeated an estimate that the facility would process and discharge "6,000,000 gallons" into nearby creeks, warning of impacts to wildlife and some 100 neighborhood families. Farmers and conservationists, including Mo Ryan and John Bell of the Wilburger Creek Conservation Alliance, said the proposed discharge route would reach conservation easements, that parts of the site are flood‑prone and that treated effluent should be contained and reused where feasible.

City staff and the mayor said the council would continue due diligence and scheduled a community meeting on the issue for Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church to share more information and gather input. The city manager said staff will go to the site and meet with residents as part of the next steps.

Why it matters: Speakers framed the decision as both a cultural‑heritage and environmental‑justice issue. Descendants argued that siting industrial infrastructure adjacent to a freedom colony homestead and historic cemetery risks erasing irreplaceable local history and placing environmental burdens on long‑standing residents who may not benefit from the facility.

What the record shows: Multiple commenters asserted the absence of state archaeological clearance before annexation and asked the council to require proper Texas Historical Commission review for projects in areas with a high probability of historic sites. Commenters also requested broader public notice and a transparent process for siting utility infrastructure.

Council next steps and timeline: The council set a community meeting for Dec. 9 to allow architects and staff to present additional information and invited descendants to speak. No formal zoning or permit action on this parcel was recorded as taken at the Dec. 2 meeting; speakers asked the council to pause or relocate the project while state historic and environmental questions are resolved.

Representative quotes:
"Survey is required due to high probability for historic sites," Gina Gonzalez said, noting she brought artifacts as evidence.
"This wastewater treatment plant will push Litig to extinction," Alana Gonzales said.
"You plan to process and dump 6,000,000 gallons into our local waterways," Christopher Scott said.

Sources and provenance: This article is based on public comment and council remarks at the Elgin City Council meeting on Dec. 2, 2025 (first public mention of the wastewater/annexation topic: SEG 165; council scheduling of the community meeting and related remarks: SEG 2240).