– From the President –
Fred Evans
FIVE POINTS SHUT OUT AGAIN!
The City of El Paso is working on yet another Master Plan—this time called the Uptown—Downtown Plan. The names of “the usual suspects” associated with other such grandiose and in in my opinion often unrealistic, unworkable, unintelligible and sometimes plain wrong schemes appear prominently on this one. And, of course, since we obviously do not have the talent available in City Planning or among local architects and engineers this Plan has a plethora of out-of-town consultants.
How is Five Points ignored, you may ask? Let me count the ways. This will be the Cliff’s Notes version because the forest-decimating creation is 89 pages long and I haven’t been able to either stay awake or halt the cookie toss long enough to complete the reading.
First, the plan stops at Cotton. It proposes major changes to streets, including changes in direction, composition (think complete streets such as Stanton in Kern that incidentally they suggest have another set of tracks), etc. Streets mentioned are Rio Grande/Grant, Arizona, Montana, Yandell and Cotton. The plans just stop at Cotton and contemplate wonderful changes with no consideration of the effects on Five Points.
Second, why can I say we’ve been shut out? Well, we have discussed the County consultant’s suggestion that would increase surface street traffic in our area as a means to increase business activity. This plan says they’re “underutilized” and wants to make them smaller, use up space for bicycle lanes and other amenities that will make for more walkable neighborhoods to draw people in to the Uptown—Downtown District. Traffic will be taken care of by the widened I10 the plan assumes and supports.
Third, the plan wants to increase density by possibly reducing set-back requirements and parking requirements for multifamily high-rise structures. It also seeks to increase “affordable” (think Section 8) housing dispersed throughout neighborhoods. If we are not a part of this plan, why should we be concerned? Because this is the “canary in the mine.” It is to be the basis for “redevelopment” for all of the core of El Paso. And, the unstated rationale is that a block with a high rise apartment building generates many times the tax revenue of a block of single family housing but both situations cost the city about the same in services and maintenance. So, we in the core are to be used to further subsidize the outlying areas instead of imposing the grandiose schemes on the ones that are creating the city financing problem. Let us not offend developers. Heaven forbid.
This has been long enough. There is much more to be said but you get the idea. If you want a real chuckle or a slap in the face, read their growth projections that are based on our move into a knowledge based economy thus creating the huge demand for high density housing or their explanation for the loss of residents in the core (hint: subsidized new homes in the outskirts is never mentioned; again, could that offend some northeast developer?)
This plan is something for everyone in El Paso to be concerned about because it seems to be a portent of things to come. It definitely will have an impact on Five Points which again will have no seat at the table. I will attempt to gird my loins and wallow through the full 89 pages of muck. Happy to discuss my discoveries and opinions with any who may so desire.
Action
What is one to do? I say once again and will continue to say that one thing you can do is join the Five Points Development Association and attend meetings where you can hear about these serious issues, talk to others with the same concerns and arrive at an educated decision.
Program
Members from Central Appraisal District again did not disappoint. We are fortunate every year to hear in detail about the valuation situation in El Paso, proposed legislation, and any changes in the appeal process. Thanks to Dinah and her staff.
Our May program will be El Paso Electric with a presentation on the Smart Meter program that is coming your way whether you want it or not. I have heard the program and have some serious concerns. To me it’s a wolf that is being trotted out in sheep’s clothing. This too will affect you and your business now and in the future (translation: higher electric bills). Come Wednesday, listen and decide for yourselves. Trust me, I will have questions to keep things lively but will defer to everyone else unless there is dead time. After all, I’ve already had one bite of the apple.
Mixer
We had another entertaining (ask an attendee) gathering last month at the Pershing Inn due to a miscommunication. This month we again will be able to enjoy our member Gary Monteleone’s food and décor smorgasbord. He is opening a different area for us on Tuesday, May 23rd at 5:30 at San Marcial and Gateway West. Give the mixer a try. We always have good conversation and just a generally good time.
SEE YOU WEDNESDAY AT TIMO’S AT NOON.
– Fred Evans, president
EDITORIAL EXTRA (if you haven’t had enough)
A Walk In The Park—NOT!
I attended an unveiling of yet another Master Plan on April 19th—this one for “Memorial Park”. Now, friends, the City’s Memorial Park is not the Memorial Park that I, most residents of the area, and real El Pasoans (as opposed to foreign consultants) know. The City has aggregated the original Veteran’s Memorial Park green area bounded by Raynor, Copper and Grant with the Rose Garden, Senior Citizen Center across Copia, and even the ball field south of the railroad tracks into the “Memorial Regional Park.” The gory details of just how all these city Master Plans work (in my opinion to the detriment of the residents and citizens) would make a program in themselves. Let us just say the end result is just as ridiculous as the camel—an animal said to be designed by a committee. The plan added laughable and totally inappropriate features to a park in a Federal and Local Historic District when what the residents really wanted was for the City to restore the park by undoing harm already done by the City e.g. failure to maintain trees, grass, paths, and the irrigation system, and lack of sufficient lighting. The residents and members of the steering committee including the President of the Manhattan Heights Association were shocked and said that the finished plan was nothing like they were led to believe would be the result. The City’s Architect said no changes could be made other than notes added. Five Points and the El Paso County Historical Society were specifically excluded and members of the community who have no connection to the area were invited to the steering committee. Your Five Points Board and EPCHS have voted to oppose adoption by City Council.
Why should this concern Five Points. First, Manhattan Heights and Five Points share a boundary. They are our neighbors. Second, our closest walkable customer base is Manhattan Heights. Third, this pattern seems to be a common thread in all city Master Plans and thus will affect each of us eventually in our business and personal lives, as in the Uptown—Downtown Plan, unless it is halted. As Winston Churchill, paraphrasing the philosopher George Santayana, said “those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
