West El Paso residents hold meeting in opposition of rezoning to be considered

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- West El Paso residents near Mesa Hills Drive and Bluff Trail Lane gathered on Sunday, April 14, to voice their concern in relation to the City Plan Commission considering a zone change.

The Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HOME) told ABC-7 that they plan to develop 104 units of affordable housing. HOME also said they expect construction to start late 2024 - early 2025, with completion in 2026, according to their project timeline.

ABC-7 spoke with neighbors who attended the meeting and told us they believe the construction of these units will affect their neighborhood.

“We just don't feel that we're going to be able to support that kind of traffic. We're not going to be able to support the schools. The schools are going to all of a sudden burst," said Louis Lopez, a resident in the neighborhood.

Many neighbors during the meeting questioned why Chris Canales, El Paso city representative for District 8, was not present despite his constituents informing him of the meeting.

ABC-7 reached out to Canales for comment on why he didn't attend and told us he had another obligation on Sunday.

Canales referred us to a letter where he shares and explains his thoughts in support of the proposal by HOME.

"When I ran for office in 2022, I ran very clearly with a stance in support of affordable housing, and that is something I stand by in my own neighborhood just as I would in others," said Canales in the letter.

HOME's proposal will be discussed at a public meeting on Thursday, April 18, at City Hall.

Multiple neighbors from Mesa Hills Drive and Bluff Trail Lane told ABC-7 they would be present to speak during public comment.