New Subdivision Rules

Following the leadership of our own Council rep, Mayor Pro Tem Susie Byrd, the El Paso City Council voted today to approve the new subdivision development rules. A brief story by David Crowder in the Newspaper Tree about the passage can be found here.

I emailed Susie after I got home from watching this historic discussion and debate. I told her:

"I am so proud to be an El Pasoan today. Thank you for your leadership and hard work with the subdivision ordinance. There was no need for further delay. It was time to act and City Council did so.

I continue to hear some inspiring leadership coming from you, Beto and Eddie. It tells me that the City is going in the right direction and will have great leadership for many, many years to come."

Charlie Wakeem, The President of the Coronado Neighborhood Association and member of the Ad-hoc Subdivision Ordinance Committee, stated that the new ordinance would "will have an impact on taxes, quality of life, health, safety & welfare, transportation and much more. Some improvements to the subdivision standards include narrower streets, wider sidewalks, more parkland dedication and open space, requiring parks in the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) outside of the city limits, better drainage, more street lights, a connectivity index that links our neighborhoods better for walkability, and much more."

In short, the ordinance is quite forward-thinking and we are fortunate in El Paso to have the great young (and old) leadership that will serve us well for many years to come.