Socorro planning commission adopts updated A-1 agricultural zoning rules, lowers minimum lot size to 1 acre

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted Oct. 7 to add district regulations for the A-1 agricultural zoning district to the City of Socorro’s zoning code and to change the minimum lot size for A-1 from the staff-proposed 2 acres to 1 acre.

Planning staff explained the change restores A-1 rules that had been removed from the municipal code in 2014 and implements recommendations from the Socorro 2040 comprehensive plan and a steering committee of local farmers. Staff noted the steering committee recommended reducing the minimum lot size to support smaller farms; the commission adopted that recommendation.

The adopted amendments also add agritourism as a permitted use in A-1 and include a conditional-use permit pathway for specific activities, including desalination containers and associated evaporation ponds. The draft text drew extended discussion over whether to retain numeric setbacks and distance limits for evaporation ponds near residences, private wells and public water supplies. The version considered by staff mirrored language in TCEQ guidance; committee members recommended removing some location-based distance requirements because A-1 parcels are scattered across the city and strict distance rules would effectively bar small-farm pilots in many places.

Commissioners debated how best to protect neighbors while ensuring smaller farmers can use new technologies. One commissioner urged retaining minimum setback and technical-report requirements and requiring written neighbor consent where appropriate; others noted that the conditional-use permit process itself allows case-by-case restrictions and revocations. City legal staff advised that conditional-use permits can be reviewed and revoked if permit conditions are violated and that municipal remedies (including municipal court enforcement) are available for noncompliance.

After discussion the commission voted to adopt the A-1 district regulations with committee-recommended changes including the 1-acre minimum and the addition of agritourism; it also retained the conditional-use permit route for desalination while leaving the specific setback language as presented to allow permit-level review. The package will be forwarded to City Council for first reading and final adoption.

Why it matters: Reestablishing A-1 regulations clarifies how agricultural land is treated going forward, preserves existing A-1 properties, and creates a transparent permitting route for agricultural uses and for novel technologies such as small-scale desalination if operators meet technical and monitoring requirements.