City Planning Commission approves Emery Road replat A, grants exceptions for sidewalks and panhandle lot length

The City Planning Commission on April 10 approved Emery Road Subdivision Replat A, a resubdivision combination that will divide roughly 2.24 acres north of Sunland Park Drive and west of Benefit and create five single-family lots.

The application included exceptions from the city’s subdivision standards: requests to waive dedication of small strips of additional right-of-way (staff materials referenced 1.5 and 2.5 feet in illustrations), to waive construction of a five-foot sidewalk along Emery Road, and to allow one or more panhandle lots that exceed the 100-foot maximum length. Staff told the commission the development will manage stormwater by on-site ponding and that the proposal is reviewed under the current subdivision code. Planning staff recommended approval.

“We have the preliminary plan. … The exception request to waive the required improvements meets the criteria under Title 19.1 of the El Paso City Code,” planning staff said during the presentation. Staff also said the panhandle-lot length exception meets the criteria under Title 19.23 and that a note will be required on the recorded plan regarding required sprinklers for certain lots.

The applicant’s representative, Jorge Garcia of Site Works Engineering, told commissioners the applicant is in agreement with staff recommendations. No members of the public spoke during the public hearing.

Commission discussion focused on the sidewalk waiver. Several commissioners urged consistency with prior decisions requiring sidewalks even when neighboring lots lack them, citing pedestrian safety. Other commissioners and one commissioner who said they grew up in the area argued that installing a single sidewalk where none exist along the full length of Emery Road would look incongruous and could create an obstruction for neighbors who keep horses. Chair Alfredo Borrego asked clarifying questions about on-site ponding; planning staff confirmed the stormwater would be contained within the property.

The commission approved the application on a 6–1 roll call vote (Commissioner Carrillo opposed). The motion approved the replat and the requested exceptions as described in the staff report.

The approved replat requires compliance with staff-recommended recording notes and the conditions set out in the staff report, including the recording note concerning sprinklers on certain panhandle lots. Further engineering details for drainage and final construction will be reviewed and permitted during subsequent permitting and platting stages.

The commission moved next to other agenda items following the vote.