El Paso, TX Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Specific Plans Overview (2026)
Key Facts
- Plan adopted
- 2012
- Code basis
- SmartCode T3-T6
- Title
- Title 20
- BRT
- Sun Metro Brio
Summary
El Paso adopted Plan El Paso in 2012 and overlays a SmartCode-based form-based code in select districts, encouraging walkable transit-supported development around Sun Metro Brio bus rapid transit corridors and downtown.
Sec. 232.001. PLAT REQUIRED. (a) The owner of a tract of land located outside the limits of a municipality must have a plat of the subdivision prepared if the owner divides the tract into two or more parts to lay out:(1) a subdivision of the tract, including an addition;(2) lots; or(3) streets, alleys, squares, parks, or other parts of the tract intended by the owner of the tract to be dedicated to public use. ... (b) To be recorded, the plat must:(1) describe the subdivision by metes and bounds;(2) locate the subdivision with respect to an original corner of the original survey of which it is a part; and(3) state the dimensions of the subdivision and of each lot, street, alley, square, park, or other part of the tract.
Full Breakdown
Plan El Paso, the city's comprehensive plan, won national planning awards for its emphasis on transect-based, mixed-use neighborhoods. Title 20 incorporates SmartCode form-based zones T3 through T6 in designated areas including downtown, the Mesa Brio corridor, and the Montana corridor. The form-based code regulates building form, frontage type, and street wall instead of pure use separation. Conventional Euclidean zoning still governs much of the city. Mapping decisions are handled by City Plan Commission with City Council adoption. The Brio bus rapid transit lines, operated by Sun Metro along Mesa, Alameda, Dyer, and Montana, anchor several form-based districts.
Violations & Fines
Building outside an approved frontage type or form-based standard can block permit issuance and certificate of occupancy until variance, design review, or compliance is achieved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my whole neighborhood form-based?
Where can I see the zoning map?
Sources & Official References
- [1]Plan El Paso
Other rules in El Paso
Texas rules heatmap·Compare El Paso to another location·View the Texas zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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