Socorro planning commission tables ordinance to restore A‑1 agricultural rules, forms committee for revisions
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Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to table an ordinance to add A‑1 agricultural district regulations and formed a committee of commissioners, staff and residents to refine the draft and return recommendations to the commission by mid‑July.
The Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Socorro on Tuesday voted to table an ordinance that would add A‑1 agricultural district regulations to the municipal code and formed a small committee to refine the draft and bring recommendations back by the commission's next meeting.
City planners told the commission that A‑1 rules were inadvertently left out of the city’s online code when older paper ordinances were codified and that restoring district regulations is intended to protect agricultural land. Planning staff recommended adoption of a new A‑1 chapter so the city has explicit rules for uses, setbacks and conditional uses for agricultural parcels.
Planner Jose Botello, speaking for staff, summarized the administration’s intent: “All we are doing is hopefully adding, rules and restrictions to protect these, valuable resources.” Botello said the change responds to direction in the Socorro 2040 comprehensive plan to preserve agricultural properties.
Residents who spoke during an extended public comment period asked for clearer language and written proof that existing farm uses and mobile homes would remain legal. Jeanette Lorenz, who said she has lived in Socorro for nearly 50 years, told commissioners she was worried by inconsistencies in the mailed notice and how the city’s records showed A‑1 rules missing. Several neighbors also asked whether mobile homes would be “grandfathered” and whether land would lose agricultural status on inheritance.
Botello told the commission that existing A‑1 properties would remain A‑1 and that the city could prepare written verifications for property owners. He also said classification of agricultural valuation for tax purposes is handled by the Central Appraisal District, a separate entity: “You as a property owner, change your zoning when you would like to change zoning,” Botello said, adding that the city cannot unilaterally change a private owner’s zoning without an application.
Commissioners agreed there was substantial community concern and voted to table the ordinance and assemble a working group of two commissioners, three members of the public and planning staff to meet and prepare recommendations. The committee was tasked to meet and report back so the commission could consider suggested edits and clearer explanatory materials before sending a recommendation to city council.
The commission’s motion to table included a schedule for the working group to meet and present findings to the commission at or before the commission’s next posted meeting.
Next steps: planning staff said they will assemble materials requested by the committee (examples of how grandfathering would be documented, the proposed A‑1 text with markups, and options for minimum parcel sizes) and post meeting notices. City council will receive the commission’s recommendation if and when the commission advances the ordinance.
Why it matters: City staff said restoring A‑1 regulations is intended to give agricultural land an explicit set of rules after the provisions were removed from the city’s online code; residents said the change should not unintentionally limit long‑standing farm uses or displace households.
