Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning School Site topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves rezoning, condition release for proposed middle school site amid traffic concerns
Summary
The commission approved rezoning and a release of conditions on a parcel intended for a Canutillo ISD middle school, describing the change as a zoning 'cleanup.' Residents raised safety and traffic concerns; staff said a Traffic Impact Analysis was approved and outreach occurred but recommended approval of the rezoning and condition release.
The El Paso Planning Commission voted to rezone a portion of a larger property from C-3 (commercial) to R-3A (residential) and to release prior conditions on the commercial parcel so the school district can consolidate the site for a proposed Canutillo Independent School District middle school.
Luis Zamora of Planning and Inspections told the commission staff’s analysis concluded the rezoning would align the parcel’s zoning with adjacent R-3A property and that once rezoned, many commercial uses would no longer be allowed and the previously imposed landscape buffering conditions would no longer be necessary. “Our recommendation is we’re okay with releasing those conditions as the rezoning gets through,” Zamora said.
Residents from the Cimarron Canyon area said the site plan as presented could create daily choke points for neighborhood traffic, could compromise emergency-vehicle access during peak drop-off and pickup, and could bring overflow parking, nighttime lighting and noise from athletic events closer to residences. Whitley Miles Ray, a Cimarron Canyon resident, told commissioners she and other neighbors were not opposed to a new middle school but asked for reconsideration of access and additional safety measures, including alternate access points and improved trail crossings, arguing that Cimarron Canyon Drive is one of only two neighborhood entrances.
Applicant representative Adrian Ontiveros of CSA Design Group said the Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) was approved by the appropriate city department, that the primary site entrance would be Cimarron Canyon with internal circulation and dual stacking lanes on site, and that the school district had conducted at least one community meeting. Staff told the commission it had mailed notices to nearby property owners and received seven calls, one letter and one email in opposition, primarily citing traffic concerns.
Commissioners said the commission’s authority was limited to zoning and conditions; traffic and detailed site layout are the school district’s responsibilities. After discussion, the motion to approve the rezoning and to release the conditions carried. The transcript indicates the motion was approved but does not include a full roll-call tally for this item in the public record within the transcript.
The rezoning and condition release are advisory recommendations that will be forwarded to city council per standard process.
