A newcomer to Durango looked at a converted garage apartment with no bath, kitchen or closet. Plumbing privileges were provided at the main house. The landlord wanted $500 a month.

Because it lacked plumbing, the unit was illegal.

But “accessory dwelling units” such as converted garages, basement apartments and backyard cottages fall under a gray area.

A possible revision to the city’s Land Use Development Code would lift restrictions on accessory dwelling units while providing for regulation, such as limiting new structures to 550 square feet and requiring parking spaces.

City planners are inviting feedback about the proposal at a public hearing scheduled for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Durango Community Recreation Center.

In Durango, accessory dwellings are allowed only in the older neighborhoods near downtown and Main Avenue if the lot sizes are a minimum 7,500 square feet. While city officials acknowledge that “carriage house apartments” are a local tradition, accessory dwelling units technically are not permitted.

“Accessory units right now are not allowed under our code,” said Vicki Vandegrift, the city’s senior planner. “There is a duplex zone or a two-family zone that allows for two units, but we don’t allow for accessory units.”

City leaders such as Mayor Christina Rinderle and City Councilor Doug Lyon are enthusiastic supporters of easing restrictions on dwellings commonly known as mother-in-law apartments.

Rinderle, who campaigned on the issue and works in real estate, said accessory dwellings “will fill a big need in our community” because they would create more affordable housing and make it easier for property owners to afford a mortgage.

They also solve lifestyle issues, such as creating semi-independent living space for an aging parent or an adult child returning home after college or military service.

There are community benefits, as well, to urban infill because a large residential population close to downtown would contribute to its customer base.

“Durango has such a vibrant downtown as the result of our population diversity,” Lyon said.

In the past, however, detractors have complained about the potential for noise, crowding and loss of privacy, planners said.

City planners believe that enough regulation will prevent overpacking of residential lots. Lots will be restricted to one accessory dwelling unit. There would be requirements for buffer space between buildings. The secondary unit could not be larger than the principal home.

As far as noise, Todd Messenger, a consultant for the city from the firm of Kendig and Keast, said the fear about large parties might be overblown.

“A larger house that accommodates a lot of college students is more of a critical mass of party energy than a smaller house with an accessory dwelling unit where they are living separately,” Messenger said.

In revising the land code, planners say they want to be sensitive to the different needs of the neighborhoods.

“One of the things we want to find out is, is it appropriate for all neighborhoods? We want to hear from people in the different neighborhoods,” Vandegrift said.

Restrictions likely would vary by the location.

The current proposal would eliminate the 7,500-square-foot rule for the older neighborhoods near downtown and Main Avenue, mostly because these neighborhoods have longer lots and alleys that allow for convenient access to the accessory dwellings, said Vandegrift.

The northern neighborhood known as “Animas City” would be allowed accessory dwellings if the lot sizes were 10,000 square feet or larger.

Newer neighborhoods in the outlying areas would only be allowed “integrated accessory dwellings,” such as basement or attic apartments. Detached dwellings are not considered as feasible because the neighborhoods lack alleys.

Because the houses tend to be situated in the middle of the lot, there’s not as much room for a detached dwelling or access for a car.

Planners also are including appearance guidelines so that homes with “integrated dwellings,” such as attic or basement apartments, cannot make the presence of the secondary unit “obvious.” Exterior stairways would not be allowed.

The configurations of external doors also should be typical for a single-family home.

jhaug@durangoherald.com