Stakeholders Meeting Take Two

Worth preserving: Arroyo 41A as seen from Tom Mays Unit of the State Park

A second mountain to river stakeholders meeting was held yesterday in a conference room of the IBWC. Sponsored again by the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, this meeting topped the first. Those who had spoken at the first meeting added to their presentations. New speakers offered new insights. Mike Gaglio, President of the Frontera Land Alliance, provided new food for thought: mitigation banks and in lieu fee mitigation. He was supported with additional information from Rick Gatewood of the Army Corps of Engineers.

The City Parks and Recreation Department finally got into the act with Rick Garcia who could not attend the last meeting. Also from the City was Engineer Kareem Dallo. A pleasant surprise was the presence of Barry Russell who had served as acting Director of P & R before taking a job in Spokane. Barry worked with Chuck Kooshian, the former City Planner, as the mountain to river plan was developed.

Jobe was represented by Trish Tanner. Pat Woods of Desert View Homes the builder/developer for Desert Springs was present. In fact, it was the attendance by Pat Woods (and consequently Randy O'Leary, owner and founder of Desert View Homes) that made my day. (Pat was unfortunately out of town for the first meeting.) He shared a new land study for their development which includes portions of the Ann Morgan Lilly Trail (Arroyo 41A) which drew praise from Open Space Advisory Board Chairman, Charlie Wakeem. Woods and O'Leary are trying to accommodate the mountain to river trail and still offer affordable, attractive homes. (Their product is for a first time homeowner or someone moving up.) They are trying to make an honest living and do what they can within the confines of financing, expenditures, environmental considerations and so forth. Bottom line: they are striving to be good neighbors and good corporate citizens. Desert View Homes received the Gold National Housing Endowment Builder Achievement Award for Outstanding Community Service. Mr. O'Leary was an El Paso Inc. Candidate for 2009 El Pasoan of the Year.

Bottom line: these meetings are building relationships among people who share values and concerns and want to get along and make things work together. Kudos to Judy Ackerman for making these meetings happen.

Conspicuously absent: Doug Schwartz of Enchanted Hills and any of the investors of the Santa Fe Properties who own the corner at I-10 and Transmountain.