Public Service Board Advances City Development Projects
Monday afternoon the Public Service Board advanced three development projects the city of El Paso has been working on involving open land.
Hundreds of acres of land in Northeast El Paso are expected to be developed in two separate projects. The first is a planned community for retired adults and the second is a smart growth community. Both would involve housing units, options for commercial space, parks and trails. The PSB gave its blessing to both those projects, which will go up for a vote before City Council in May and June.
The PSB also settled on a recommendation for the Northwest master plan and Trans Mountain corridor, a stretch of city-owned land that has been the topic of contentious debate for years. It includes the area leading up to the Franklin Mountains State Park.
Potential scenarios for the land were presented by a third-party consulting firm that the city hired. The scenarios were drawn up using public input gathered at community meetings.
The PSB ended up choosing to recommend a scenario that protects 837 acres of land as opposed to scenarios that protect 1,043 acres and 1,128 acres respectively.
The Open Space Advisory Board had also chosen the first scenario, with the condition lingering issues like improved arroyo protection are addressed.
Some speakers said they disagreed with the chosen scenario, calling it the “most destructive.”
The PSB’s recommendation is not binding and all the scenarios will go before the City Plan Commission and City Council before a final decision is made. City Council is expected to vote on the Northwest Master Plan and Trans Mountain corridor March 20.
