The Socorro City Council voted on Oct. 2, 2025, to adopt an ordinance amending the city master plan and rezoning Lot 28, North Loop Acres Subdivision (624 Hesse Drive) from R1 single-family residential to R2 medium-density residential to allow construction of a duplex.

Lorraine Quimito, the city planner, presented the rezoning request and said the property at 624 Hesse Drive is 13,460 square feet (about 0.309 acres), currently vacant and owned by Black Diamond Developments LLC. "The request is for approval of a rezoning of a property from R1 to R2 to allow for a duplex," Quimito said. She told council the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval at its September meeting with the condition that the site be limited to a single duplex.

Quimito said property owners within 200 feet were notified under standard practice; the planning commission heard one speaker who raised concerns about traffic and noise. After the commission hearing the city received a written letter from a resident within the notification circle expressing concerns that the notice radius was insufficient, that the rezoning would affect the entire neighborhood, and that duplexes can function as income properties rather than single-family homes. Council members asked staff about the notification process and about site clearance; staff said the property had been cleared of an existing concrete slab.

Council discussion focused on neighborhood effects and density. A council member noted the lot’s size would allow up to four units under R2 zoning but that the applicant proposed only two units; the planning commission’s condition limits the project to a single duplex (two units). After brief discussion the council president called for the vote. There was a motion and second to approve; the council vote was recorded by voice (ayes), and the mayor announced, "That motion carries."

What the ordinance does: The adopted ordinance amends the city’s master plan designation and rezones the parcel to R2 with the condition recommended by the planning commission that development be limited to a single duplex. The city planner said parking for the duplex would be provided on Hesse Drive in a plan submitted with the application.

Public comment and transparency: Only one written letter of objection was entered into the record after the planning commission hearing. The writer raised concerns about notification, traffic, and property tax effects; the council discussed those concerns during the meeting and referenced the city’s 200-foot notification standard.

Implementation and next steps: Quimito and the applicant’s representative, Lorgeira Armenta, were present and available for questions. No timetable for building permits was stated during the council meeting; the council did not attach additional conditions beyond the planning-commission recommendation.