County planning unveils Low Impact Development guide, local organizations urge stronger rules and retrofits

The El Paso County Planning and Development Department on Thursday presented a Low Impact Development guide designed for the Chihuahuan Desert and requested feedback as the department considers how to use the document in local planning and code updates.

Planning Director Michael McElroy described the guide as a local resource designed to reduce stormwater runoff at the source, preserve natural drainage, and recommend 11 LID strategies appropriate for El Paso’s climate. The guide provides cost comparisons, maintenance checklists and schedules for features ranging from cisterns to bioswales and encourages compact development and preservation of natural areas.

McElroy said the department wrote the guide to support the court’s strategic goals on green infrastructure and climate and to inform property owners, developers and county staff. He noted the county has requested $1.3 million in FY26 funding to rewrite subdivision code; staff said an updated code would offer a mechanism to implement LID standards for new development.

Public commenters and neighborhood groups urged the county to go beyond a voluntary guide. Maya Sanchez of the El Paso Community Foundation said the foundation is ready to support an ambassador and help identify funding and nonprofit hosts for demonstration projects; she pointed to local demonstration work at McCall Neighborhood Center and the Paisano Ditch. Sydney Gaglio of High Desert Native Plants commended the guide but said many cited LID resources come from non-desert climates and urged the county to adopt locally specific examples and regulations. UTEP civil engineering student Joshua Mena urged urgency, citing declining aquifer levels and dust storms and advocating for rainwater harvesting and curb cuts.

Commissioners discussed the limits of county authority (counties cannot impose many city land-use rules inside municipal corporate limits) and emphasized the practical route of incentives and subdivisions standards. Commissioners said the county should work with the city of El Paso, El Paso Water, developers and state legislators to seek enabling authority or cooperation and to use infill incentives and procurement to encourage LID features.

McElroy summarized the guide’s features: a five-part primer on site planning and design principles, a toolbox of 11 strategies with cost/maintenance guidance, a benefits section (water quality, flood-risk reduction, energy savings and enhanced property value) and a staff-curated resource list. He said the department will continue outreach and that the guide is published on the county website for review.

Why it matters: El Paso faces flash flooding, urban runoff and long-term water stress. The guide is a first step toward codifying design practices that retain stormwater, reduce downstream flood risk and improve groundwater recharge. Commissioners asked staff to pursue code updates and to bring back options tied to strategic goals; no ordinance was adopted at Thursday’s meeting.