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Commission approves Hermanos Farms amendment to replace pecan buffer after required water‑line relocation
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Summary
To accommodate a required 12‑inch water‑line relocation by the Lower Valley Water District/TxDOT, the commission approved an amendment replacing the approved pecan tree buffer along North Loop with a new landscape and irrigation plan; the applicant said it will replace trees and attempt to preserve the street aesthetic.
The Socorro City Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 3 approved an amendment to the development plan for the Hermanos Farms Industrial Subdivision that replaces a previously approved pecan tree buffer along North Loop Drive with a revised landscape and irrigation plan.
Staff said the change is necessary to accommodate relocation of a 12‑inch water line required by the Lower Valley Water District and TxDOT and that construction cannot proceed without removing the existing pecan trees. Staff recommended approval and told the commission there is no financial impact to the city for the amendment.
Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on whether replacement trees will survive without the canal irrigation previously available to the pecan trees and whether the new landscape plan will preserve the visual buffer between the street and the industrial site. One commissioner said pecan trees likely would not survive without irrigation and welcomed species the developer proposed, noting the new trees would be on city water meters and require ongoing maintenance.
Robert Little, identified in the record as the applicant’s representative from GreenLaw Partners, joined the meeting by phone and said relocating the water line made removal unavoidable but that the applicant was working with a landscape designer to replace the trees and maintain the street aesthetic. "It impacted those pecan trees...we are making our best effort here to handle the Lower Valley Water District's requirement for a new water line relocation while still being sensitive to the city of Socorro's landscape...aesthetic," Little said.
Following discussion commissioners moved, seconded and approved the amendment; staff will forward the commission's recommendation to city council as part of the project's final decision process.
Next steps: the amendment is approved at the planning commission level and will be considered by city council; landscape and irrigation permit submissions and coordination with Lower Valley Water District and TxDOT are expected.
