El Paso City Plan Commission approves plats and rezonings, denies sidewalk waiver on Vista Del Norte

The El Paso City Plan Commission on Aug. 14 approved a major plat for Vista Del Norte Estates Unit 5 with a waiver to landscape the rear of double-frontage lots but declined a requested waiver of a one-foot sidewalk requirement along US 54, and the commission also approved several other plats, a right-of-way vacation, three rezoning recommendations to city council and staff-proposed code amendments to implement recent state law changes.

The denial of the sidewalk waiver for Vista Del Norte Estates Unit 5 came after commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on whether the development should build a 6-foot sidewalk to match the city's preferred cross-section. Staff explained that the portion of US 54 involved is within the Texas Department of Transportation right of way and that TxDOT typically requires a 5-foot sidewalk; the commission approved the plat with the planter-strip exception but without the sidewalk exception.

The decision matters because the City Plan Commission has final approval authority for subdivision plats, and the commission's choice will determine whether the new subdivision will be built to match existing TxDOT-controlled conditions or be asked to adopt the city's preferred 6-foot standard for new neighborhoods. Commissioners discussed walkability and the potential for later development north of the site to adopt a consistent sidewalk width.

In other land-use actions, the commission: - Approved Formation Park at El Camino Real (a major combination plat for about 52.7 acres) with an exception to match existing roadway and sidewalk cross-sections where guardrails and other constraints prevent a continuous sidewalk on Zaragoza Road. Staff and the applicant noted there is no existing sidewalk across a nearby drainage crossing and that guardrails limit the feasibility of a full sidewalk connection on one side of the road.

- Approved a Tierra Del Este Phase 7 land study covering roughly 445.86 acres in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction proposing 1,180 to 1,500 single-family units (conceptual), park sites and stormwater ponds; staff said the study meets current subdivision-code connectivity and parkland requirements and recommended approval on a land-study basis.

- Approved the vacation of a 0.17-acre portion of right of way on Ressler Drive (Ressler drainage right-of-way vacation) to allow parking and landscaping on the vacated strip while retaining necessary utility easements; staff advised no vertical construction would be allowed over existing utility infrastructure.

- Recommended rezonings to city council for three properties: a 1.73-acre site on Alameda Avenue from R-4 to C-1 (to allow a shopping center and apartments); a 0.35-acre property at 4806 Atlas Drive from R-4 to (as presented) "A-2" for proposed multifamily use; and a roughly 9.988-acre site south of Barcroft for rezoning to C-1 for commercial development. Staff attached conditions including site-plan review and buffers or distance requirements for alcohol-related establishments where applicable.

The commission also approved staff-proposed code amendments intended to implement recent state legislation that affects local land-use regulation. Staff described three primary changes under review: (1) a statutory limit on municipal regulation of "no-impact" home occupations; (2) a change aligning the city's definition of a HUD-manufactured home with the federal definition; and (3) notice and protest changes affecting rezonings and citywide zoning-text changes, including a new lower protest threshold for rezoning actions that increase housing and clarifications about when publication notice is sufficient for citywide text amendments.

Commissioners discussed practical effects and limits: staff said the city would still send the standard property-owner notices for individual rezoning cases; the state law changes chiefly clarify when a citywide text amendment may be noticed by publication rather than individualized mailings and change the protest/majority rules when the rezoning's effect is to increase residential housing supply. Staff also said the home-occupation and manufactured-home definitional changes were largely conforming updates to state law and would not invalidate existing legal nonconforming units.

On administrative items, the commission elected Commissioner Hansen as first chair and Commissioner Masood as second chair (Masood's selection passed on a 4-1 vote in a roll call). The commission also appointed commissioners to a comprehensive-plan subcommittee to advise staff as the city updates the future land-use map.

Votes at a glance: - Item 5 — Vista Del Norte Estates Unit 5 (major combination plat): Approved with planter-strip exception; sidewalk waiver along US 54 denied. (Motion to approve all exceptions died for lack of a second; subsequent motion to approve with planter-strip exemption but without the sidewalk exemption carried.) - Item 6 — Formation Park at El Camino Real (major combination plat, ~52.7 acres): Approved with exceptions to match existing cross-sections where constrained. (Approved.) - Item 7 — Tierra Del Este Phase 7 (land study, ~445.86 acres): Approved on a land-study basis. (Approved; recommendation forwarded per land-study process.) - Item 8 — Ressler drainage right-of-way vacation (~0.17 acre): Approved; sidewalk to remain; easements for utilities retained and no vertical construction allowed over infrastructure. (Approved.) - Item 9 — Rezoning at 787804 Alameda Avenue from R-4 to C-1 (1.73 acres): Recommendation to city council approved (will proceed to council). (Approved by commission.) - Item 10 — Rezoning at 4806 Atlas Drive from R-4 to A-2 for proposed multifamily use (approx. 0.35 acres): Recommendation to city council approved. (Approved by commission.) - Item 11 — Rezoning south of Barcroft to C-1 (approx. 9.988 acres): Recommendation to city council approved with conditions. (Approved by commission.) - Code amendments (staff proposals to implement recent Texas legislation on home occupations, HUD-manufactured-home definition, and notice/protest rules): Approved for forwarding to city council. (Approved.) - Election of officers: Commissioner Hansen elected first chair (unanimous); Commissioner Masood elected second chair (4-1 roll-call vote).

The commission's approvals for plats (subdivision maps) are final actions under the commission's authority; rezonings were recommended to city council and will require further action by the council per standard process. Staff repeatedly noted that rights-of-way and sidewalks located within TxDOT jurisdiction remain subject to TxDOT standards, which played a central role in the commission's decision on the Vista Del Norte sidewalk exception.

Speakers and attributions below reflect the meeting record: actions and motions are described as recorded at the meeting. The commission's staff presentations and applicant responses are summarized from staff reports and public statements on the record.

Ending: Items approved for recommendation will advance to the City Council as required; subdivision plats approved by the City Plan Commission will proceed per the city's subdivision code and the conditions imposed by the commission.