Community Hands-On Design Session Focuses on Northeast El Paso and Fort Bliss

Area residents met on Wednesday, February 16 at the Wellington Chew Senior Center for a hands-on design session to plan the future of the City, with special focus on Northeast El Paso and Fort Bliss.  Carlos Gallinar, Comprehensive Plan Manager for the City of El Paso opened the meeting and described the City’s ongoing public process to develop a Comprehensive Plan. Joining the packed room were City Representatives Susie Byrd and Carl Robinson.   Jason King, project director, and Victor Dover, principal-in-charge, from the planning and urban design firm Dover, Kohl & Partners, gave an overview of the Comprehensive Plan process and a food-for-thought presentation on building highly livable, choice-worthy, economically competitive communities.  The Comprehensive Plan is the overarching planning document for the City. A registered translator was present throughout the event for Spanish-speaking participants. 

Working side by side in small table groups, neighbors, business owners, City Staff and public officials worked together on three planning exercises.  The first exercise was a community image survey, in which participants were asked to evaluate images showing different types of housing, streets, civic buildings, and commercial properties around the city.  The second exercise focused on big-picture Comprehensive Plan issues and their application throughout the City.  Participants provided input on issues ranging from transportation, to economic development and preferred locations for future population growth.   The third exercise focused on urban design and the community character of the Northgate Mall area and downtown.  With over 60 people in attendance, the community generated consensus concerning future growth and redevelopment.

Some of the concepts that emerged from the hands-on session included:

• More shopping, stores, coffee shops, and restaurants;
• Additional parks and outdoor recreation;
• Improve look of buildings along Dyer Street and add street trees;
• Mixed-use center at Northgate Mall; and
• Better bus service and possibly light rail to connect different areas of El Paso.

The public is encouraged to help guide the City-wide Comprehensive Plan process and provide input to the planning team at any of the following upcoming events:

DESIGN STUDIO:
February 14th – 21st, M-TH from 9:30am to 7:00pm and FRI 9:30am to 5:00pm
Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center, 701 Montana
All welcome to stop by to talk to the design team and provide input as plans evolve.

OPEN HOUSE & LECTURE:
Thursday, February 17 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center at 701 Montana
Public invited to provide input on draft plans and illustrations, and attend a lecture by architect Christian Sottile on Traditional Architecture principles.  The event is kid-friendly and refreshments will be provided.

WORK IN PROGRESS PRESENTATION
Tuesday, February 22nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Downtown Main Library at 501 North Oregon
Public presentation of design work completed during the two-week charrette.  A registered translator will be present throughout the event for Spanish-speaking participants.

Nationally Recognized Bicycle Planners Look for Ways You can Trade Four Wheels for Two

Keep your eyes open for bicycle planners Mike Lydon and Tony Garcia who you might catch peddling their way across El Paso. Lydon, who travels primarily on his folding bicycle, is working alongside Garcia to contribute to the Plan El Paso Comprehensive Plan charrette.  Based on their findings, policy and design recommendations will be crafted for the City for how to accommodate bike infrastructure and make El Paso a better place for non-motorized travel. 

In El Paso, experiencing the street system first hand is Lydon and Garcia’s first step in the process of understanding what currently works and doesn’t work for cyclists.  The Street Plans team will be looking at a variety of bikeway types, which will be calibrated for the local context in concert with the Comprehensive Planning effort led by Dover Kohl & Partners.  They are also working with local residents to learn more about the local market and what type of people are interested in riding, and where.  

“Typically, cyclists fall into four broad categories,” says Lydon.  The ‘strong and fearless;’ the ‘enthused and confident;’ the ‘interested but concerned’ – by far the largest group; and those who have no interest.   Understanding who will be using the facilities and common travel routes, whether to schools or jobs, will help inform what types of bikeways will be recommended.  

From his home in New York City, Lydon experiences first hand the incredible variety of bikeways that are available, giving him an expansive tool box from which to pull. Garcia is also involved with overseeing the implementation of the firm’s bicycle master plan in his hometown, Miami, Florida. Lydon also served as a member of the City of Miami’s Bicycle Action Committee, where he helped spearhead the creation of the city’s first Bicycle Action Plan, and the formulation of a monthly ciclovia, entitled Bike Miami Days. He also collaborated with Andres Duany and Jeff Speck in writing The Smart Growth Manual, published by McGraw Hill, which is ranked by Planetizen as one of the top ten planning books of the year. Garcia is involved with Miami’s Green Mobility Network and Transit Miami, two of the city’s leading smart growth advocates.

From the position of having biked and studied America’s most urban cities, Lydon and Garcia co-authored the Smart Code Bicycle Module, which identifies a menu of different bikeway types that can be calibrated for a local community.  The Street Plans Collaborative will also be calibrating the Smart Code Bicycle Module for the City of El Paso.

“Bicycle planning, and more importantly, the implementation of more connected bicycle facilities will not only make life better for those who enjoy biking, but will also help alleviate traffic and provide greater access to transit, contributing to many of the other smart growth goals emerging from the ongoing Comprehensive Planning effort,” says Garcia.

Any members of the public, including those interested in bicycle planning, are encouraged to help guide the City-wide Comprehensive Plan process and provide input to the planning team at any of the following upcoming events:

DESIGN STUDIO
February 14th – 21st, M-TH from 9:30am to 7:00pm and FRI 9:30am to 5:00pm
Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center, 701 Montana
All are welcome to stop by to talk to the design team and provide input as plans evolve.

HANDS ON 3: Northeast El Paso and Fort Bliss
Wednesday, February 16th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm
Wellington Chew Senior Center, 4430 Maxwell
Come work with your neighbors to plan the future of the Northeast area of El Paso!  The event is kid-friendly and refreshments will be provided.  A registered translator will be present throughout the event for Spanish-speaking participants. 

OPEN HOUSE & LECTURE
Thursday, February 17 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center at 701 Montana
Public invited to provide input on draft plans and illustrations, and attend a lecture by architect Christian Sottile on Traditional Architecture principles.  The event is kid-friendly and refreshments will be provided.

WORK IN PROGRESS PRESENTATION
Tuesday, February 22nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Downtown Main Library at 501 North Oregon
Public presentation of design work completed during the two-week charrette.  A registered translator will be present throughout the event for Spanish-speaking participants.

National Architect Framing a New Vision for Future City Building in El Paso

Residents of El Paso are invited to learn more about the City around them from acclaimed architect Christian Sottile on Thursday, February 17^th at 6:00pm as part of the Plan El Paso Charrette Open House, taking place at the Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center at 701 Montana.  Sottile will lead a community conversation on the rich architectural traditions of the City and how the City’s heritage can be carried forward. 

Sottile, who is part of the Dover, Kohl & Partners planning team leading the Plan El Paso project, has been hard at work assessing the architectural character of the City.  His investigations have uncovered rich building traditions unique to the region, and to the City itself.  Sottile is not only documenting existing historic buildings, but also looking back to buildings that are no longer here, to piece together El Paso’s architectural story.  

Christian Sottile is principal of a Savannah-based urban design firm working extensively in nationally-registered Historic Districts.   His work also includes regional planning and master planning for new towns, emphasizing historic research, urban analysis and community-wide engagement. 

Sottile’s presentation will describe principles of traditional architecture, and how El Paso’s buildings have contributed to the community’s identity and local culture.  He will also explore how this rich set of traditions can be carried forward for the future.

“I am very encouraged by what I’ve seen,” says Sottile.  “There is a way forward in planning for the future that continues the wealth of El Paso’s traditions as they have evolved here over the course of two centuries.”

During the charrette, Sottile and other architects on the design team will be reporting on what they see and suggesting how to pull from the best of El Paso’s built traditions, while balancing the realities of modern building practices and financial limitations.  

“While we are here assessing the traditions of El Paso we’re also testing the principles we’re observing against potential future buildings – buildings that have yet to be built.” says Sottile.  The architects will be aiming to suggest an architectural palette that draws from El Paso’s heritage, and communicates the meaning of buildings, so that people know when they are looking at a school, library, or other important civic building.   

All members of the public, including those interested in architecture or city building, are encouraged to help guide the City-wide Comprehensive Plan process and provide input to the planning team at any of the following upcoming events:

DESIGN STUDIO:
February 14th – 21st, M-TH from 9:30am to 7:00pm and FRI 9:30am to 5:00pm
Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center, 701 Montana
All welcome to stop by to talk to the design team and provide input as plans evolve.

HANDS ON 3: Northeast El Paso and Fort Bliss
Wednesday, February 16th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm
Wellington Chew Senior Center, 4430 Maxwell
Come work with your neighbors to plan the future of the Northeast area of El Paso!  The event is kid-friendly and refreshments will be provided.  A registered translator will be present throughout the event for Spanish-speaking participants. 

OPEN HOUSE & LECTURE:
Thursday, February 17 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center at 701 Montana
Public invited to provide input on draft plans and illustrations, and attend a lecture by architect Christian Sottile on Traditional Architecture principles.  The event is kid-friendly and refreshments will be provided.

WORK IN PROGRESS PRESENTATION
Tuesday, February 22nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Downtown Main Library at 501 North Oregon
Public presentation of design work completed during the two-week charrette.  A registered translator will be present throughout the event for Spanish-speaking participants.

Community Hands-On Design Session for Northeast and Fort Bliss Scheduled for February 16th

Residents of El Paso are invited for a hands-on design session to plan the future of the City, with special focus on the Northeast area of El Paso & Fort Bliss.  This public event, scheduled for Wednesday, February 16^th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm at Wellington Chew Senior Center, located at 4430 Maxwell Avenue, is part of the City’s ongoing public process to develop a Comprehensive Plan. Jason King, project director, and Victor Dover, principal-in-charge, from the planning and urban design firm Dover, Kohl & Partners, will give an overview of the Comprehensive Plan process and a food-for-thought presentation on building highly liveable, choiceworthy, economically competitive communities.  These presentations will be followed by a hands-on workshop where participants will provide input on issues ranging from long-term development to transportation, economic development, and a vision for the future of the Northeast area & Fort Bliss.

The public is encouraged to help guide the City-wide Comprehensive Plan process and provide input to the planning team at any of the following upcoming events:

DESIGN STUDIO:
February 11th – 22^nd, M-TH from 9:30am to 5:00pm and FRI 9:30am to 5:00pm
Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center, 701 Montana Avenue
All welcome to stop by to talk to the design team and provide input as plans evolve.

HANDS ON 3:
Wednesday, February 16th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm
Wellington Chew Senior Center, 4430 Maxwell Ave.
Public workshop on City-wide issues with a focus on the Northeast area of El Paso, including Fort Bliss.

OPEN HOUSE & LECTURE:
Thursday, February 17 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Pat O’Rourke Recreation Center at 701 Montana Avenue.
Public invited to provide input on draft plans and illustrations.

WORK IN PROGRESS PRESENTATION
Tuesday, February 22^nd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Downtown Main Library at 501 North Oregon Street.
Public presentation of design work completed during the two week charrette.

A registered translator will be present throughout the event for Spanish-speaking participants.