Duranguito petition certified, but what happens next?

A second petition seeking to have voters decide whether the neighborhood where the city plans to build the multipurpose arena should have a historic designation has been validated by the City Clerk’s Office.

Paso del Sur, an advocacy group fighting the city’s plan to build the controversial $180 million Downtown arena in Duranguito, collected 2,200 signatures and submitted the petition to the city on Sept. 11.

The City Clerk’s Office authenticated 1,974 signatures of registered voters, more than the required 1,666 under the City Charter, officials said Monday.

Opponents of the arena site believe some of the buildings in the neighborhood south of the Judson F. William Convention Center in the Union Plaza area have historical value and should be preserved.

“Both petitions were made possible by a diverse group of volunteers ranging from students, elders, and members of grassroots community organizations,” according to the statement by the Paso del Sur group.

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The petition is an effort to force a public vote on whether the neighborhood should have a historic overlay.

Historic overlays create districts that would make it more difficult to demolish buildings in the area. Property owners within the districts, for example, must seek approval from the Historic Preservation Office before making changes to their properties.

City officials in a statement said the validation does not automatically place the item on the ballot in the next general election, and that the City Council is required to call an election.

The item will be discussed during the Oct. 31 council meeting.

The deadline for any municipality to call for an item to be placed on the Nov. 7 ballot was Aug. 21.

“We await City Council’s response in hopes that they will respect the wishes of their constituents who demand that Duranguito be protected from demolition and established as a historic district,” Paso del Sur said.

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In June, the City Council took no action on the first petition based on the advice of its legal counsel that said Texas law has made it clear that voters cannot adopt zoning ordinances.

The city’s statement on Monday mirrored that sentiment by stating “Texas Courts have consistently held for decades that zoning matters have been removed from the field of initiative and referendum, irrespective of broad Charter provisions.”

“I think the city is afraid to let the people decide directly,” Paso del Sur member David Romo told the El Paso Times Monday.

According to the city, the petition seeks to create a new historic district in the area bounded by San Antonio Avenue, Paisano Drive, Durango Street and South Santa Fe.

The city now has nine historic districts, including Chihuahuita, Manhatttan Heights, Sunset Heights, and Downtown east of where the city wants to build the multipurpose center.

Elida S. Perez may be reached at 546-6137; eperez@elpasotimes.com; @ElidaSPerezEPT on Twitter.