- [Narrator] On March 2nd, SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk,
announced his plan to create a new city called Starbase
in what is now Boca Chica Village,
a tiny, unincorporated community
of about 30 homes,
located next to the southernmost beach in Texas.
Musk's tweet, and his updates encouraging his followers
to move to the Brownsville, South Padre area
has created a surge of interest in local real estate,
mostly from outside buyers.
- We probably will not see anything like this
in our lifetime.
Who knows if Brownsville
will ever have an opportunity like this again.
We certainly haven't in the past.
- [Narrator] But while many in the state welcome
the increased investment, and jobs,
some in south Texas worry that SpaceX's expansion
will come at a steep price
to the local people and the environment.
- They, in effect,
have shut down me personally and economically.
- They nickeled and dimed us to death.
- [Narrator] SpaceX did not respond
to multiple requests for comment.
The question now is how will Elon Musk
build his gateway to Mars
in the face of a local backlash?
The conflict centers around control
of a state highway that is the only road
to both SpaceX's rocket testing site
and a beloved community beach.
Texas Highway 4,
which is known locally as Boca Chica Boulevard,
is a two-lane road that stretches
from the shores of Boca Chica Beach
to the city of Brownsville.
- After he did his tweet,
it really changed things a lot.
- [Narrator] Craig Grove has been a real estate broker
in the Brownsville area for 11 years.
- We get calls, like I said,
from all over the United States
and even outside of the United States.
My phone volume, I have a answering service,
it's probably doubled or quadrupled.
I know of properties that were on the market
for a good long time that didn't sell
and now because of Elon's tweet,
they ended up going for cash offers.
If even a fraction of what SpaceX wants to do happens,
it's gonna change the face of Brownsville.
A lot of the people that live in these houses
are SpaceX engineers.
And then if you look behind me over here,
this is a brand new subdivision
that's gonna be opening up.
So you can see it's happening.
- [Narrator] SpaceX has had a footprint in Boca Chica
since 2012 but the aerospace company
didn't begin ramping up work at the site until 2019
when it began scaling up development
of its Starship spacecraft.
(rocket whooshing)
- Starship is the largest flying object ever made.
- [Narrator] This is the same vehicle NASA recently selected
to return humans to the moon in 2024.
- Best memories of my life are right here on this beach.
Now I have to check if it's okay to go.
(waves crashing)
- Bobby Lerma still lives down the street from the beach
on land that has been in his family for five generations.
- I would like to describe Boca Chica Beach as a paradise.
This is what I want to protect.
I want my kids and grandkids
to come here like I did.
- [Narrator] Until recently, Boca Chica,
which sits at the edge of a national wildlife refuge
was a favorite spot for locals looking
for a quiet escape.
Endangered sea turtles and ocelots call the refuge home,
as well as scores of migratory birds.
But since SpaceX began expanding its operations in 2019,
conservationists worry
that the eventual environmental impact
will be devastating.
(rock crashing)
(playful music)
In just a few years,
the area surrounding Boca Chica has been transformed.
- I have to go through,
ask permission to come to my own home.
SpaceX had security people
of their own bossing everybody around
and requiring IDs
and things that aren't necessary for a public highway.
- [Narrator] An FAA spokesperson said
that in December of 2020,
the agency approved a request by SpaceX
to increase the closure hours to 300 hours annually.
He said implementation and enforcement
of those agreements was a local matter.
In Texas, public access to Gulf Coast beaches
is a right enshrined in the state's constitution.
But in 2013, Cameron County received a special exemption
from state lawmakers
to temporarily close the beach and the highway
during rocket launches.
Today, some locals say this privilege has been abused.
And that the frequent highway closures
have essentially privatized the beach.
In a phone conversation with The Journal,
Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino said,
"We want SpaceX to succeed,
but not at the expense of the community.
If they think they'll be able to take over the highway
or the beach, they're mistaken."
Texas House Representative, Alex Dominguez,
said he has found a bill
to limit beach access closures at Boca Chica
but he's working with SpaceX officials
to try to improve beach access
without limiting SpaceX's allowed closures.
(dramatic music)
SpaceX has faced the most friction
from the residents of Boca Chica Village.
- Not only did they move in and change the whole tone
and tenor of the place
but they began to do 24/7 construction,
which meant wall-to-wall people,
cars, traffic, noise, lighting, you name it.
- [Narrator] Cheryl Stevens was a homeowner for 15 years
in the village and grew up going to the beach.
Like many former Boca Chica Village residents,
Stevens purchased the property thinking
it would be her retirement home.
- There was no way to stay.
I mean, it was just so stressful.
- [Narrator] Over the past year,
multiple SpaceX rockets have exploded,
breaking windows, scattering debris and causing fires.
- I mean, it was really basically the gun
to the head approach.
Not a lot of negotiation on the price
and a lot of thinly veiled threats
of eminent domain.
- [Narrator] Stevens said she sold to SpaceX
in late 2019 for more than $139,500.
But she characterized the company's initial offers
as unfair and predatory.
For his part, Bobby Lerma said he will continue speaking out
about the road closures.
- They are kind of pesky at calling me every day
about whether I wanna sell
but I'm not going anywhere
and I'm not be bullied by anybody.
I'm gonna fight back.
Why? Because it is my backyard.
So I have to protect my backyard
'cause nobody else will.
(dramatic music) (waves crashing)