Questions Raised about Knapp Dozers

Area above Stoney Hill Drive

Alarms went off today including an investigation by the El Paso City Police. The Knapp family has taken up an old habit: bulldozing the mountain. The Save Our Sierra Group of local homeowners quickly spread the word that roads were being plowed.

There are some issues. Grading more than 20% of one's land may require a permit. Grading within the Mountain Development District does need a permit. Making sure that the dozing happens only on private land and not State land is imperative. 

I called Elizabeth Gibson in permits and asked her to check on permitting for the dozing. When she learns more, she will get back with me.

Also above Stoney Hill Drive

The bulldozer operators insisted that they were only plowing existing roads. Yet an eye-witness who hiked the area just two days ago says otherwise. 

A development plan for a portion of this area passed the CPC a few months ago. However, there is no final plan approved for building. Apparently in the meantime, the Knapps have no problem tearing up the ecosystem of the mountain area. 

If they had wanted to sell their land to the City, this isn't the way to go about it. To say the least, folks are up in arms.

Above Gunnison Drive

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Will Stack and Pack Development Really Preserve Arroyos?

The image is from El Paso Development News which reports, "The site plan for a new residential development in Northeast El Paso shows streets winding around arroyos and open space. (City of El Paso)

The City Plan Commission (CPC) approved a land study for 175.45 acres above Magnetic and just to the south of Hondo Pass. The planned development is being called Sierra del Puente. This is an area that some on the Open Space Advisory Board had asked on several occasions to be considered for acquisition. 

El Paso Development News has the story.

The land owned by Daniel Knapp and Palo Verde Properties plans to build 319 residential units on 70 acres while preserving 88 acres of arroyos and open space. One land expert commented: "This is a stack and pack in order to squeeze all the units on there – which is what they have to do to get their money out of it.  I sure hope the surrounding neighborhoods object to it.  I hate to see that happen to the mountain."

Maybe but, if they use green infrastructure/low impact development and preserve (not concrete) the arroyos, it may be a worthwhile (albeit expensive) enterprise. I've hiked with Dan Knapp and know that he loves our mountains.

When the CPC reviewed the land study, commissioners asked whether anyone from the public had comments. There were none. One wonders how well the neighborhood was informed about the project.

One also wonders whether years of Charlie Wakeem's mentioning the area at OSAB resulted in any attempts to contact the owners about selling the land. OSAB members often waste their breaths at City Planning.

By the way, El Paso Development News is great. Get on their email list.