Socorro planning commission approves Hermanos Industrial master plan and parking/height variances for North Loop Drive site

The Socorro City Planning and Zoning Commission approved a master plan and related variances for the Hermanos Industrial Subdivision, a 99.23-acre property at 11051 North Loop Drive owned by Hermanos Farms LTD, directing the applicant to submit an updated traffic impact analysis (TIA).

Planning staff recommended approving the master plan and three variance requests: a reduction in off-street parking for office space to one space per 400 square feet of net leasable office area, a change to the warehouse parking standard (staff recommended one space per 2,002.5 square feet of net leasable warehouse area rather than the applicant’s requested one space per 5,000 square feet), and an increase in maximum allowable building height from 45 feet to 50 feet for the subdivision. Planning staff said the master plan requirement applied because the site exceeds five acres and that the rezoning for ICMUD had previously been approved by City Council on Feb. 1, 2024.

Jorge Scarate, representing CEA Group, described changes since an earlier application and said the current proposal incorporated staff and council comments: preserving a landscape buffer next to adjacent residential areas, adding a deceleration/turning lane on North Loop Drive and submitting the required traffic impact study. "We've incorporated all the comments that staff has recommended, which is the landscape buffer, which is the additional deceleration lane," Scarate said.

Staff conditioned approval on an updated TIA in accordance with the city code (section 38-59.3) and recommended approval of the requested parking and height variances with the adjusted parking ratio recommended by staff. Commissioners discussed neighborhood buffering, future changes in occupancy and the need for code enforcement to ensure parking conforms if a tenant's use changes; staff said parking and occupancy would be reviewed at change of use or at business license renewal and that required reconfiguration would be enforced at that time.

The commission voted to approve the master plan and variances with staff recommendations. The motion was made by Commissioner Andrew Arroyos and seconded by Commissioner Enrique Cisneros; the motion carried with one abstention.

Why it matters: The approval moves forward a large industrial project along North Loop Drive that includes commitments to landscape buffering and traffic accommodations but requires a TIA update and future enforcement if uses change. The city staff and applicant said additional right-of-way dedication is planned to help future North Loop widening efforts.