Commission enforces 50% landscaping rule, delays permits at 1208 Reynolds

The El Paso Historical Landmark Commission voted to accept staff’s recommended conditions for a certificate of appropriateness at 1208 Reynolds Street, requiring that no more than 50% of the front yard be paved, that landscaping be installed within six months, and that no permits be issued until the 20‑year violation is corrected.

Staff explained the property's prior 2000s approval included landscaping and said paving the entire front yard is not historically accurate. "Grass and sod may be removed... provided not more than 50% of the area is covered with gravel or masonry," a staff representative noted while recommending the 50% limit be enforced.

Isabel Castillo, who identified herself as the owner, described choosing a low‑maintenance yard after a major storm and extended out‑of‑state work: "I decided to do that type of landscaping because it was gonna be way less maintenance for whomever was gonna be, you know, renting my house while I was away," she said. She told commissioners she understood concerns about parking but said her household now has only one car.

Commissioners asked whether planters or a single tree canopy could meet the 50% ground‑cover requirement; staff replied they evaluate total ground cover and said a single tree canopy often does not satisfy the standard without additional ground plantings. After discussion, a motion to follow staff’s recommendation passed by voice vote.

The commission required the applicant to return to compliance by installing ground cover consistent with guidelines within six months and instructed staff to withhold permits until the violation is corrected.