Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks staff reports $458,400 park fees in 2024 for Northwest zone; city added 23.8 acres to park system
Summary
Parks Planning and Development Manager Carla Chavez reported Jan. 16 that El Paso received parkland dedication fees and completed 12 park projects in 2024, adding 23.8 acres to the park system. She outlined fee rates, zone balances, completed projects and planned 2025 work.
Carla Chavez, Parks Planning and Development Manager, told the City Planning Commission on Jan. 16 that parkland dedication fees collected in 2024 and projects completed that year increased the city’s park inventory by 23.8 acres and 12 parks.
Chavez summarized the park fees and zone balances presented to the commission. She said the parkland-dedication fee is $1,370 per single‑family unit, $680 per multifamily unit and $1,000 per acre for nonresidential subdivisions. She reported 2024 collections and cumulative balances by park zone as follows (figures presented by staff at the meeting): Northwest — $458,400 collected in 2024; total received since 2013 $3,400,000 (allocated $2,400,000; unallocated $1,000,000). Central — total received $637,858 (allocated $582,803; unallocated $55,055). Mission Valley — total received $1,300,000 (allocated $1,000,000; unallocated $282,332). East — total received $3,300,000 (allocated $2,500,000; unallocated $888,381). Northeast — total received $2,200,000 (allocated $1,700,000; unallocated $493,028).
Chavez told commissioners that in 2024 the department used $2,398 in parkland-dedication funds to supplement resurfacing of the dedicated pickleball court at Skyland Optimus Park and $106,515 to supplement a new playground at Arrington Park. She said the program added 23.8 acres to the park system in 2024 and that 12 parks were completed and transferred to the city that year. The department expects to add eight new parks totaling about 18 acres in 2025.
Commissioners asked whether the city prefers park dedication (land) or fees in lieu. Chavez said the city prefers a developer to dedicate and construct parkland because fees are often insufficient to build full park improvements; she added the fee schedule has not been updated since February 2008 and likely needs review to reflect construction-cost inflation.
Commissioners raised equity and access concerns for the Central area, where fewer new subdivisions mean smaller fee receipts; Chavez said the parks master‑plan update will examine additional funding sources and prioritization. Commissioners suggested exploring closed school sites as potential park property and noted pocket parks and small recreation centers as approaches for built-up neighborhoods.
No formal action was taken; staff presented the report and fielded questions about funding, planned projects and the upcoming parks master-plan update.
