On Tuesday, August 19th, El Paso City Council will consider changes to the city's zoning code, voting on amendments that would:

1. eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements in parts of downtown, "uptown," and in immediately adjacent neighborhoods, allowing property owners to choose how much parking to provide
2. facilitate the construction of "accessory dwelling units" (commonly known in El Paso as casitas) on all residential lots

We are a diverse coalition of voices coming together to endorse these common-sense changes to El Paso's zoning code.

We are advocates for affordable housing. We understand that housing is subject to the same market forces of supply and demand as any other commodity, and we know that building more housing will result in more affordable housing options for both renters and homeowners.

We are environmentalists. We understand that denser, more walkable neighborhoods result directly in less pollution and cleaner air.

We are urbanists. We understand that downtowns are supposed to be dynamic centers of growth and opportunity, not stagnant, suburban-style neighborhoods frozen in time, or even worse--decaying husks falling into irrelevance as cities sprawl ever outward.

We believe in fiscal responsibility. We understand that it is unsustainable from a financial perspective for El Paso to sprawl farther and farther out into the desert, while we allow our central neighborhoods to deteriorate. El Pasoans already struggle under shockingly burdensome property-tax rates. Why must we continue to pave new roads, lay new water pipes, and run new electrical cables (and then pay to maintain them all indefinitely) when we can make better use of the infrastructure that we already have?

We value freedom. If you have the money and the space, why should the government tell you that you're not allowed to build a modest casita for your aging mother or your special-needs son? Why should the government tell you that your small business needs five parking spaces when you know that you'll rely on foot traffic?

We are public-health advocates, public-transportation enthusiasts, those fighting back against the loneliness epidemic, and more. We understand that zoning laws are interconnected in overlooked ways to many of the issues that we deal with in our society today, and we recognize that the moderate reforms considered by the council represent modest steps toward progress in many arenas. If you are particularly compelled by any issue not mentioned here, please leave a comment when you sign the petition!

Despite opposition from a small yet vocal group of opponents with vested interests in making housing more expensive and freezing downtown and downtown-adjacent neighborhoods in time, we know that the proposed changes to the zoning code will benefit El Pasoans across the board. Please sign this petition to make your voices heard prior to the vote on August 19th.