Once again bucking the will of a chorus of El Paso residents, the El Paso City Council voted to rezone an area around the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park to allow Jobe Materials to operate a permanent concrete batch plant on the land.
West-Central city Rep. Josh Acevedo was the lone voice of opposition in the 7-1 vote Tuesday, May 7, which was preceded by hours of public comment dominated by voices opposed to the plan.
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Rezoning the land around the Rio Bosque from Ranch & Farm to Light Manufacturing means Jobe Materials, which has been operating a temporary plant on the site for the last year, can make their operation there permanent. Additionally, where the temporary plant was solely there to provide concrete for the Bustamante Water Treatment Plant project, the change in zoning means the Jobe Materials site can now do business in the private sector as well.
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While those pushing the rezoning may have won the support of City Council members, several of which noted campaign contributions they’ve received from Stanley Jobe — city Reps. Isabel Salcido, Art Fierro and Cassandra Hernandez, as well as Mayor Oscar Leeser — public comment was overwhelmingly opposed to the plan.
While roughly a dozen turned out in-person or called in to voice their opposition, nearly a dozen others sent emails urging the City Council to reject the proposal.
Among those on hand for the May 7 meeting, wearing a black t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Save Rio Bosque,” was Jon Rezendes, who the Rio Bosque “will become unrecognizable” as a result of the City Council’s “immoral” and “un-American” decision to “gift” land to Jobe Materials.
“This is crony capitalism,” he said. “This is not free-market capitalism.”
I’m glad people are coming to that realization.
For the rest of my more or less relevant opinion, just change a few of the words in this piece.
Jon Rezendes is a powerful voice for the Bosque. Mr. Jobe did a very respectful and diplomatic outreach to those involved in this decision, including some opposition like Sierra Club. I saw the email he sent to our Sierra chapter president, Laurence Gibson, explaining politely and in detail the technical case for the plant’s location. It did not help that the Bosque’s manager, John Sproul, did not object to the plant. I did.
So, Mr. Jobe won a victory of sorts in getting his concrete plant sited on what is public land but he lost the chance to be seen as an elder, if the response to him by the youthful Amanacer contingent there was any indication. Our city has a lot of old people, even highly educated and accomplished old people, but few qualify as elders and they have never been so needed as now.
None on City Council.