Planning & Inspections

Division Sections

Subdivision

The Subdivision section of Planning and Inspections is responsible for the review of projects that include land divisions, right-of-way vacations/dedications, easement vacations/dedications, addressing, and street name changes. Subdivision review regulates the division of land to ensure compliance with applicable state and City of El Paso laws and regulations and ensures that development is orderly, efficient, and coordinated within City limits and within the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. 

Find Subdivision Documents

Link to Draft Storm Water Design Manual
Link to Draft Design Standards for Street Design Manual

 

Applications & Public ROW/Easement Vacation Process

  • Application submittal
    • Assigned to Planner
    • Distribute to reviewing departments
    • City Plan Commission (CPC) date determined
    • Notices sent to surrounding property owners & newspapers at least 10 days prior to the hearing date
    • Staff report prepared and updated as comments are received
  • CPC hearing
  • If the application is recommended for approval or if a denial is appealed,
    Planner requests appraisal from Real Estate*
  • Planner drafts Ordinance/quitclaim or Resolution/deed for legal review
  • Planning forwards appraisal to applicants for their records and payment*
  • Applicant pays appraisal fee and appraised value or $25.00 if vacating a public easement
  • Planner places item on the City Council agenda and the item is heard

*Not applicable on easement vacation application.

Application Process after Submittal

  1. Platting determination
  2. Five-day
  3. Preliminary plat
  4. Final plat
  5. Plat application approval/denial
  6. Installation of Subdivision Improvements
  7. Pre-cloth/Pre-mylar
  8. Recording documents
  9. Recording fee and park fee
  10. Recorded documents submittal
  11. Certificate of compliance issuance

5-Day Process after Application Submittal

  • Assign to Planner
  • Distribute to reviewing departments
  • Department comments collected and Planner provides to applicant by 5th business day
  • Applicant to address 5-day comment and submit application within 45 calendar days of 5-day submittal in order to avoid completeness review expiration

*Submit 9 sets of plat and completed subdivision application form (signature not necessary).

Zoning

The zoning section reviews development projects for conformance with the zoning regulations, and we work with applicants when they would like to rezone their property, request approval of a detailed site development plan when required, or seek relief from certain zoning requirements (e.g., their setbacks or permitted uses). We also handle general inquiries about zoning requirements.

Zoning Regulates

  • What you can do on your land (regulates what land uses are permitted in what zoning districts)
  • Where you can do it (setback requirements)
  • How you can do it (parking regulations, additional requirements for certain uses).

To find zoning information for your property, go to GIS Map. To find our zoning regulations online, visit City of El Paso Ordinance Title 20.

Long Range

The Long Range Planning section performs research and prepares reports relating to the direction of City development patterns over a 5- to 30-year period. The section proposes updates to municipal codes regarding development, as directed by the goals and policies defined in the City’s approved comprehensive plan, Plan El Paso, as well as being responsible for updates and amendments to the comprehensive plan, such as revisions to the Future Land Use Map, and updating and developing new Study Area Plans. The section also manages planning applications for areas utilizing SmartCode zoning, and annexation requests.

SmartCode Regulating Plans

Study Area Plans

*File sizes are rather large, please be patient as the files load.