elpasonaturally: Urgent Action Needed to Save Scenic Corridor

This is a long letter but please read it through. To preserve the beautiful scenic corridor along Trans Mountain, please do two things:

1. Email the contacts below.

2. Please sign the petition and gather more signatures. Go to www.franklinmountains.org to download the hard copy of the petition or ask others to sign online at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-el-pasos-franklin-mountains/.

Understand what Council voted for on Tuesday, October 5. They voted to apply for the rezoning of 900+ acres in Representative Byrd’s plan. The process will be vetted through the City Plan Commission on November 4 before returning to City Council probably on November 8. City Council will make its final decision then. The vote to apply only passed 5-2 with the Mayor threatening a veto.

Prior to going to the CPC, it will be an issue raised at the Development Coordinating Committee (DCC) next Wednesday, October 20. Know that Ed Archuleta and the PSB are already targeting DCC and CPC.

Kimberly Forsyth, Lead Planner in the City’s Planning and Economic Development Department, wrote in a letter to Neighborhood Association Presidents:

The City of El Paso is submitting an application to rezone approximately 918 acres of City-owned property located north and south of Transmountain Road, near the entrance to Franklin Mountain State Park, from R-3 (Residential) and PMD (Planned Mountain Development) to NOS (Natural Open Space). The property is legally described as follows: Parcel 1 - Nellie D. Mundy Survey No. 246; and Parcel 2 - SJ Larkin Survey 269, Abstract 10070, Tract 1; and Parcel 3 - SJ Larkin Survey 269, Abstract 10070, Tract 1-A, all within El Paso, Texas.

The purpose of the rezoning is to preserve this land in its natural state and to maintain the scenic corridor at the entrance to the state park. Please feel free to contact me at 541-4668 if you have any questions or need further information concerning this application.

Once again, the reason for the proposed zoning change on city-owned land managed by the PSB east of the Gas Line Road on Trans Mountain Road to Natural Open Space (NOS) is to preserve El Paso's only scenic corridor. The current Northwest Master Plan calls for zoning the land for commercial and residential. This will destroy the beautiful scenic corridor's natural beauty. As I’ve said, that Master Plan never really was a consensus by stakeholders; and, the fact that so many of you have spoken out through your petition signatures, shows that the Plan has no strong agreement. Moreover, the Open Space Advisory Board of the City of El Paso voted to re-zone the area as NOS and asked Council to review the Master Plan.

I very strongly urge everyone to write the Mayor and City Representatives to support the zoning change from R-3 Residential and PMD Planned Mountain Development to NOS – Natural Open Space. The PSB is opposed to this zoning change. Go here for map information.

Email the following now before the DCC meeting on Wednesday:

Kim Forsyth forsythkl@elpasotexas.gov

Linda Castle castlelj@elpasotexas.gov

Art Rubio rubioax@elpasotexas.gov

Esther Guerrero guerreroex@elpasotexas.gov

Andrew Salloum salloumam@elpasotexas.gov

Email the Mayor and Council members as soon as you can:

Mayor John Cook - mayor@elpasotexas.gov

District #1 Rep. Ann Morgan-Lilly - district1@elpasotexas.gov

District#2 Rep. Susie Byrd - district2@elpasotexas.gov

District #3 Rep. Emma Acosta - district3@elpasotexas.gov

District #4 Rep. Carl Robinson - district4@elpasotexas.gov