Dozens of Pflugerville residents and preservation advocates were set to converge on City Hall on Tuesday, urging officials to adopt protections for the Historic Colored Addition, a small, mostly Black neighborhood that community members describe as sacred. The push centers on preserving the area's cemeteries and church while pressing the city to fix long-neglected streets and drainage. Organizers say they want infrastructure upgrades that protect, not erase, local memory.
Organizers said they would gather at the Pflugerville Justice Center at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and march to the council chambers ahead of a 7 p.m. meeting, as reported by KVUE. The station reports Councilmember Rudy Metayer expects the council to approve a resolution that would direct more than $375,000 toward studying improvements in the Historic Colored Addition. Advocates say the study would fund a beautification and preservation plan so infrastructure work can proceed without sidelining the community's history.
City Money And Infrastructure On The Line
City documents show the Historic Colored Addition has been part of Pflugerville's bond and infrastructure planning for years, and prior work specifically targets streets, utilities, and drainage, according to the City of Pflugerville. A 2025 council action approving a multi-street construction contract and the voter-approved 2020 bond program are part of that history. Residents say those past allocations have not yet translated into even basic amenities like paved streets and continuous sidewalks.
A Neighborhood With Deep Roots
The Historic Colored Addition dates to 1910, when farmer La Rue Noton sold small plots to Black cotton farmers and factory workers. The block still contains St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church and two cemeteries. Preservation groups and descendants have pushed for cemetery restoration and historical recognition for years, as documented by Community Impact. Advocates say that history must be the north star for any changes in the neighborhood.
What Advocates Want From City Hall
Advocates want a beautification plan that pairs sidewalk and road repairs with markers, interpretive signage, and a maintenance commitment so improvements do not accelerate displacement. They are pressing the city to prioritize paved streets, continuous sidewalks, and street lighting rather than piecemeal fixes, as reported by KVUE. Organizers also pointed to a recently installed flood-mitigation system and said targeted drainage work remains necessary to keep the low-lying plots accessible.
Next Steps At City Council
If the council approves the resolution, staff would use the study funds to scope engineering and design work and to draft a preservation-minded plan that could feed future construction bids or bond proposals, per the City of Pflugerville. Community leaders say they will keep pressure on elected officials to couple physical upgrades with protections for the area's cemeteries and church.
