Editor's note: This was sent to constituents by city Rep. Susie Byrd.

The City Council has been working on land development reform to improve the quality of life in El Paso, to minimize the adverse impact of new growth on existing taxpayers and to encourage alternative modes of transportation including transit, biking and walking. Last year, an overhaul of the Zoning Ordinance was approved. Currently, we are considering changes to the subdivision ordinance. The Subdivision Ordinance regulates land design and infrastructure improvements. The last major update to the Subdivision Ordinance was made in 1997.

I want to make sure you know what we are up to and encourage you to submit ideas and comments for consideration. You can email comments to me (ByrdSM@elpasotexas.gov) and I will forward them along to council.

Schedule for Subdivision Ordinance Adoption:

· Proposed changes were to be introduced on Tuesday (April 22, 2008) at the City Council meeting.

· The public is encouraged to submit written comment to City Council by Friday (April 25, 2008) in order to allow for these comments to be pulled together for council consideration.

· Changes will be reviewed and discussed at the City Council meeting on Tuesday (April 29, 2008).

· Final action will be taken at the City Council meeting on Tuesday (May 6, 2008).

***

The City Council had the following goals in re-writing the subdivision ordinance:

* Re-define basic infrastructure to ensure that existing taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for new growth

* Subdivision design that enhances neighborhood safety and pride

* Improve the quality of public spaces (parks, streets, open space, sidewalks, etc)

* Subdivision designs that promote and enhance access for all modes of transportation (transit, vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle)

* More flexibility for creative uses of land such as park ponds

* Preservation of natural assets such as arroyos and open spaces

Safer neighborhood streets

The current standard for neighborhood streets requires wide streets and allows for long blocks, qualities that encourage speeding. The proposed standard would allow for narrower streets and encourage shorter blocks, making our neighborhood streets safer for residents, pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles. Neighborhood streets can now be designed to reduce speeds to 25 miles per hour.

Increase roadway connectivity, reduce traffic congestion and provide adequate infrastructure for alternative modes of transportation

Our current development practice requires people to own cars in order to access jobs, public amenities and retail. Our current development practice also concentrates many cars on a few overloaded streets rather than disbursing cars throughout our roadway network. As a result, many El Pasoans are stuck in traffic on their daily commute. The proposed code includes a standard for connectivity that will decrease travel distances, increase route options, allow for more direct travel between destinations and disburse traffic throughout a network rather than dumping all the cars onto an overworked road. The proposed code also requires developers to provide adequate planning and infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users, in addition to vehicles. The proposed code requires a Traffic Impact Study for new developments in order to adequately plan for and anticipate traffic demands on the system.

Better basic infrastructure for pedestrians

Current development practices ignore the pedestrian. The current requirement for sidewalks is a four-foot width, which is barely legal and discourages people from walking and enjoying their neighborhoods on foot. The proposed standard would increase this to five feet. I’m going to try to convince my colleagues that a six-foot sidewalk is really the way to go. The proposed ordinance also requires better pedestrian access to parks and schools.

Increase park amenities to improve neighborhood and so that taxpayers don’t foot the bill for basic park infrastructure.

Current park standards only require developers to deed land with turf and sidewalks. Ask any kid if this is a park and they will likely tell you, “no.” Residents expect parks to be outfitted with playground equipment and park benches at a minimum. As a result of poor standards for park development, existing taxpayers will have to pay $5 million to bring land with turf and sidewalks up to a standard that all citizens expect. The proposed ordinance will require developers to include a basic park amenity package so that you and I don’t have to pay for it later on.

Parks required in Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)

Developers that are building in the ETJ don’t have to build parks, even though they will eventually be annexed into the city. As a result, citizens in the ETJ don’t have access to neighborhood parks. The proposed standard would require parks to be built and dedicated in the ETJ in accordance to City standards.

More flexible drainage design standards that promote arroyo preservation, more aesthetic treatment and more dual use of drainage structures.

Current drainage standards are inflexible and result in large holes in the ground with fences around them or the concrete channelization of arroyos. While the number one goal of drainage is public safety, drainage can be designed to be attractive, to provide other uses such as park/ponds and to use natural features such as arroyos to convey water.

***

Other proposed improvements include:

· Encouraging better planning of subdivisions by requiring land studies.

· Requiring more durable, long lasting infrastructure such as concrete at intersections of major and minor arterials.

· New procedures established to cut red tape and hold City accountable for processing applications in a timely manner.

· Requiring financial guarantees from developers before they are allowed to build homes in a subdivision.

I am going to make presentations in the next few weeks about the suggested changes and would be glad to make presentations to any organization that is interested.