City Purchases Mesa View Estates

From El Paso Development News

This morning City Council voted unanimously to purchase the land from Piedmont Group, LLC known as Mesa View Estates II. Community leader, Ellen Esposito, announced the purchase with this message:

"Today, the City of El Paso City Council approved the purchase of 15.57 acres known as Kern View Estates II, owned by Piedmont Group LLC.  The purchase and preservation of this critical open space resulted from the collaborative efforts of El Paso city staff and Piedmont Group LLC. The support and guidance of Representative Ann Lilly were invaluable. 

"Please extend your thanks to the City Representatives and Mayor Leeser for approving this purchase.  And thank YOU for your interest in protecting  the Franklin Mountains of El Paso."

El Paso Development News did a story about it the other day and has received two negative (and, quite frankly, ignorant) responses from one unidentified person who seems spitefully envious of the people in Kern Place and Mesa Hills. The fact of the matter is that the citizens of El Paso voted to have $5 Million of the Quality of Life Bonds go to open space. Another $5 Million was set aside for parks. They are two different items. The land on the western slope of Crazy Cat provides an access to the State Park other than the Palisades or the North Stanton and Kenyon Joyce trailheads. The development presented both traffic and stormwater challenges. 

Land on the mountain sides should be preserved. QofL open space funds are now about $4.5 Million. Could it be that some of that money can be used to purchase from the Knapp family the mountainside portion of Sierra del Puente?