Northwest Plan Moves Forward

EL PASO - It's a developing area, but some people wish it wasn't.  It looks like some parts of the Trans Mountain area in Northwest El Paso will be preserved.

The City Council approved a plan to keep 600 acres of open space and add the land to Franklin Mountains State Park.  But there's still one more step to go before the plan can take effect.

It's an area that's different than any other in El Paso.  It's the largest urban state park in the country and chances are, Franklin Mountains State Park is about to get bigger.

"Imagine having 26,000 acres of state park as your backyard," said the City of El Paso's Comprehensive Planning Manager, Carlos Gallinar.

El Paso City Council, along with some El Pasoans who want to preserve land in the developing Northwest part of the city, agreed to keep 600 acres of open space.

"You're going to have access to trailheads, that if you wanted to get lost for the rest of the day, you could do that from your backyard with out having to get into a car," Gallinar said.

The Northwest Plan includes the addition to the state park, a new entrance to the park and SmartCode building.  SmartCode is a strategy of development that puts homes and businesses close to each other, so people use less gas.

"I think it addresses the many issues that the environmental community had in terms of preservation and also addresses the concern city council had that we make sure that we found the best alternative for preservation," Gallinar said.

Now City Council and the environmental community in El Paso are pleased with the plan, it goes on to a commission in Austin.