Socorro HLC approves removable soundproofing and lighting for municipal courthouse interior

The Historical Landmark Commission of the City of Socorro voted unanimously Feb. 12 to approve a certificate of appropriateness for interior, nonpermanent alterations to the Socorro Municipal Courthouse intended to support virtual court hearings.

HLC staff presented the application and told commissioners the work is internal only and would not alter the building exterior. "Before you is our application to modify and make constructional amendments to the Socorro Municipal Court House," an HLC staff member said. Staff recommended conditional approval, saying the design and materials must remain as presented and any changes must return to the commission for review.

Commissioners were shown plans for self-adhesive soundproof wall panels and new lighting to be installed in a small inlay area that formerly housed a vending machine. The staff presentation described the panels as removable, with a layer of craft paper, adhesive and a polyester fiber facing, and said the purpose is to reduce echo and background noise for people attending hearings virtually. An HLC staff member said Information Technology and Public Works staff will carry out the installation.

During the meeting Rafael Padilla moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness with a second from Ricardo Rocha. The motion carried on a unanimous vote of commissioners present.

The commission also heard brief updates on other HLC matters. Construction on the Bracero Museum has started; staff said temporary fencing is in place in the courtyard and that "physical construction should be done around the summer so that UTIP can get in there and start putting in their exhibits" (HLC staff member). The HLC reported it has approval to pursue a $750,000 Save America’s Treasures grant with a required 1:1 match, for a potential total project amount of $1,500,000, and is applying for a separate $100,000 Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC) grant with no local match. Staff credited the Mellon Foundation for earlier seed funding and said the grant work will include refabrication and rehabilitation of the coin set hut as part of the museum footprint.

Staff said commission members and city representatives will attend next week’s El Paso Days legislative affairs event; staff described historic preservation as one of the items on the City of Socorro legislative agenda. The staff presentation also noted that Irene Rojas is the newly elected District 4 representative and that the city’s new council members will receive pending items when their terms begin.

Votes at a glance

• Motion to excuse Mr. South from the meeting — mover: Rafael Padilla; outcome: approved (yes 5, no 0).

• Approval of minutes (meeting date corrected to Nov. 13) — mover: Rafael Padilla; second: Elizabeth Ponce Lugo; outcome: approved (yes 5, no 0).

• Certificate of appropriateness for interior, nonpermanent soundproofing and lighting at the Socorro Municipal Courthouse — mover: Rafael Padilla; second: Ricardo Rocha; outcome: approved (yes 5, no 0). Note: staff recommended conditional approval; design and materials must remain as presented and any changes must return to the HLC for review. Implementation to be performed by IT and Public Works staff.

• Motion to adjourn — mover: Rafael Padilla; second: Jesse Montelongo; outcome: approved (yes 5, no 0). The meeting adjourned at 6:11 p.m.

The meeting included no public commenters signed up. Several items were described as updates rather than actions; staff said the Bracero Museum timeline and grant requests will be brought forward as those projects develop.