Growth in unincorporated parts of El Paso County a focus for commissioners
El Paso County is growing, particularly in unincorporated areas. And that’s creating new challenges for county government.
“There are parts of the county where it seems seamless from the city of El Paso,” said Commissioner Vince Perez, (D) Precinct 3.
Perez represents most of the unincorporated areas of El Paso County in Precinct 3. the rapid growth even in just the past few years is forcing county leaders to face issues of infrastructure and services that counties usually don’t address.
“As the population is growing, many of these areas are going to be filled by homes,” Perez said. “This is becoming a new issue.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, El Paso County grew 4.4 percent, or by 34,946 people between the last census in 2010 and the most recent estimates in 2015. That’s translated into almost 20,000 new housing units by census estimates. New developments are stretching into previously desert areas outside of any city’s limits.
That means that services usually addressed by cities are now becoming a focus of the county by necessity.
“We’ve invested about $200 million in roads just in this part of town alone to help alleviate the congestion that’s going onto I-10,” Perez said. “To help alleviate congestion along roads that aren’t fully complete like Pelicano Drive or Rojas Drive. Because while they might be complete in the city, there’s been extensive work done as the population has grown, we’re now dealing with areas further east.”
