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Socorro planners discuss meeting calendar, code update and projects including Nuevo Hueco Tanks extension
Summary
Commissioners discussed shifting December meeting dates and bylaw updates while planning staff briefed the commission on the Nuevo Hueco Tanks Extension Project (public comments due Dec. 31), transit changes affecting Route 84 and a countywide 75-mile trail initiative; staff said a consultant is updating the development code.
Commissioners on the Socorro Planning and Zoning Commission spent part of the meeting discussing next year’s meeting calendar and how to handle December scheduling, and received a department update on three development projects.
Several commissioners asked whether the commission should eliminate the second December meeting and carry agenda items into January to avoid conflicts around the holidays. One commissioner warned of past instances when items were automatically approved after a 30-day lapse, saying, "How did this thing get approved? Well, some things fell in the cracks." Planning staff said they would circulate the current bylaws, solicit proposed changes and address calendar options at the January meeting.
Planning staff identified a consultant, "Able City," who is engaged to update the city’s development code, including zoning, subdivision and historic-preservation provisions. Staff said the update will be a long process spanning roughly a year and that they expect to provide periodic briefings to the commission.
On project updates, planning staff (Guimiro) described the Nuevo Hueco Tanks Extension Project — "extending Nuevo Hueco Tanks from North Loop to Alameda" — and said the city has posted project information and is accepting public comment through Dec. 31. Staff also addressed media reports that Route 84 service will end Dec. 31: the El Paso transit authority is not eliminating all service, staff said, and routes 30, 40 and 50 cover most of what Route 84 served, though the stretch that serves the EPCC campus is not covered and the city is working to address that gap. The city is participating in a countywide, community-driven effort to create a 75-mile multi-use trail connecting parts of El Paso County, and staff described ongoing TxDOT multimodal workshops across six counties with about 30 listening sessions; the TxDOT effort is expected to conclude in February.
Staff invited the public to submit comments on the Nuevo Hueco Tanks project via the city's main or city clerk pages and asked that submissions be sent by Dec. 31. Commissioners did not take formal action on calendar changes or code updates at this meeting; staff will return with bylaws and draft calendar options in January.
Next steps: staff to circulate bylaws and proposed calendar options; public may submit comments on Nuevo Hueco Tanks through Dec. 31; development-code updates will proceed with consultant engagement and periodic commission briefings.
