Council approves rezoning at 176 Lanza Lane to legalize existing triplex

The City of Socorro City Council on May 21 approved an ordinance rezoning 176 Lanza Lane from R-1 single-family residential to R-2 medium-density residential so an existing triplex can be legalized and inspected for code compliance. City planner Lorraine Quimiro told council the property is 20,504 square feet, currently operates as a triplex and that planning and zoning recommended approval contingent on the building inspector confirming the structure meets code.

The applicant, identified in staff reports as Cassandra Bridal, apologized for not following the formal conversion process and asked why conditions were applied when other conversions had been approved without them. Quimiro and council members explained that the Planning and Zoning Commission may impose case-by-case conditions and that staff would review other similar properties as part of ongoing code enforcement work. Council discussed the need for firewalls and backflow devices and confirmed the rezoning’s purpose was to bring the property into compliance rather than to change use.

A motion to approve the ordinance received a second and was carried by voice vote. The rezoning is conditioned on the city building inspector verifying that required code updates are completed. The council did not record a roll-call tally for the voice vote.

Council members and staff noted this action is part of broader efforts to update municipal code and to bring older properties into compliance with current safety standards. The council also acknowledged the Planning and Zoning Commission's prior unanimous vote in favor of the rezoning at its April 21 meeting.

Next steps: the property owner must coordinate inspections with the city's planning and building inspection staff to confirm building and life-safety requirements are met before the condition is cleared.