Mayor Vetoes Council Decision To Stop Construction Of New Home

EL PASO — A big blunder at City Hall earlier this week has led to big fireworks this weekend.

Earlier this week, City Council decided to make a homeowner stop building a new home at 100 Pennsylvania Place in the Austin Terrace Historical District.

In an extremely rare action, Mayor John Cook vetoed the council’s decision to make the owner halt construction of the home.

The controversy centers around a permit the city originally issued to the owner, giving him permission to build the home in the historic district. However, the new home does not conform to the strict standards of all the other homes in the district.

Residents of the neighborhood expressed their concerns to City Representative Susie Byrd, who now says she is very disappointed in the decision. Byrd says the neighborhood should not have to live with the city’s mistake.

Cook says there is no way he will ask the owner to stop building his home mid-way through construction. He believes the owner and the city can still reach a compromise.

“When the city of El Paso makes a mistake, I think they should pay for it … either by letting the people who are building go forward with the project or by asking the taxpayers to foot the bill,” he said.