Council Puts Controversial Lee Trevino Extension On Tuesday’s Agenda

EL PASO, TX – The City Council announced it will vote Tuesday ona new plan for the Lee Trevino extension that will affect hundreds of fewer homes than previous plans.

City officials tell ABC-7 they are very close to ending a 30-year gridlock concerning the extension of Lee Trevino to the Border Highway. They have found a way to to essentially force Tigua Tribal leaders to the negotiating table.

The new plan was drawn up by City Representative Alejandro Lozano and runs through Eastside City Representative Steve Ortega’s district. It will only affect about a dozen residences as opposed to hundreds in previous plans.

Ortega said the time is right for the City Council to reconsider the controversial plan. “You’re now starting to have people going through residential neighborhoods because they want to avoid Zaragoza and Interstate 10 or the Zaragoza and Alameda area,” he said, expressing optimism the plan will satisfy residents and drivers.

Tigua Governor Art Senclair saidall of the proposed routes hehas beenpresented, including Lozano’s, do nottake into consideration some of the tribe’s sacred land. They will also get in the way of the Tigua’s traditional St. Anthony procession, he said.

Ortega said city attorneys found federal legislation that may enable the city to breakthrough with the plan. The legislation is tittled the National Historic Preservation Act and Ortega stated the city is ready to invoke it.

“Once the city says it’s going to do the route, the feds mandate that the city and the Tiguas sit down and negotiate to find a way to minimize the impact on the Tigua’s culturally sensitive property,” said Ortega.

However, Tigua leaders said they still feel secure in the legality of their position against the proposed extension.