El Paso City Council could decide Tuesday to create residential parking zone in Sunset Heights

The El Paso City Council on Tuesday will decide whether to create a residential parking zone in Sunset Heights to avoid ballpark visitors from parking in the residential neighborhood.

If approved, residents of the historic neighborhood will pay $10 per vehicle per year for a permit to park on the street. The permit comes with two visitors parking permits.

The City is trying to protect the neighborhood from being flooded with parking ballpark visitors on game days. Visitors without the permits will be subject to a fine or their cars could be towed.

The proposed permit fees are significantly more affordable than the fees in the nearly San Francisco Historic District, the neighborhood right next to the ballpark on Missouri Street. Residents there will have to pay $30 a year for the first registered vehicle and a $200 a year for the second vehicle.

City Rep. Cortney Niland said the fees are higher in the San Francisco neighborhood because the area is still considered to be part of downtown and the neighborhood is more mixed use.

Council is also expected to postpone a proposal to add 75 new metered parking spaces on West Franklin next to the ballpark and raise the price to $2.50 an hour. Niland said the City needs another year to study parking downtown.