Socorro residents tell council proposed subdivision raises traffic and infrastructure concerns

Two Socorro residents used the council's public-comment period on March 6 to ask the City of Socorro for clearer plans and traffic studies before a proposed subdivision proceeds.

Resident Cecil Cerner told the council, "My name is Cecil Cerner. I'm an area resident of Socorro," and said he is "not opposed to improvements" but worried about access and safety if a new subdivision is built near existing neighborhoods. Cerner said he wanted assurances the city would evaluate "egress, traffic, entrance, traffic lights, road improvement" and whether nearby long-time residents would be able to connect to new water, sewer or natural-gas lines installed for the development.

Another resident, Cesar Ordonez, said he has lived on Burke Road for more than 20 years and raised similar concerns about local streets. "They're connecting to Burr Road, but he's not fixing Burr Road. There's also residents that have been there for a long time and there's kids that walk. There's no sidewalks," Ordonez said, adding that he supports improvement but that the city should address existing infrastructure needs for residents as well as the new development.

The council acknowledged the concerns and said it would follow up with the Texas Department of Transportation when appropriate. Mayor Rudy Cruz and other council members said the city shares the sentiments expressed during public comment and offered to have staff or council meet with the residents and the developer when the developer returns to present the plan.

The council allowed additional public-comment time after a motion and vote to extend a speaker's three-minute allotment.