Durango does not need another ballot measure to decide the details as to when, where and how many vacation rentals should be permitted. As is all too clear at the state level, legislating via the ballot box is a poor way to govern.
It is hard to know how serious that threat may be, but the City Council could probably calm things down by including a “sunset” clause, whereby – unless specifically reauthorized – the rules permitting vacation rentals would go away in two years. Any vacation rental units approved after the new rules are enacted would then instantly become illegal.
This would have several advantages. It would provide time to understand what we are really facing in terms of numbers and usage. It may also slow down any rush to add new units, which could in itself take pressure off the affected neighborhoods. And if the city opened the discussion about whether to make the new rules permanent or let them sunset a few months before the expiration date, it would allow the voters to weigh in during a regular City Council election.
All that could go a long way toward addressing the legitimate concerns many residents have about maintaining the character and livability of Durango’s existing neighborhoods. After all, most homeowners bought the houses they own at least in part because they like the neighborhood as it is.
That is the real issue. Allowing vacation rentals injects commercial operations into residential neighborhoods. That will, to some degree at least, change things.
Fighting about minor changes to the numbers is not the answer. Why not see what change might actually occur before going ahead?
People applying for a permit to operate a new vacation rental in the two-year period will know the risk. (Which will be minimal; they will not lose their property or the ability to rent it long-term.) The city and residents alike will have time to understand better what the cap should be. And those implacably opposed to vacation rentals will have plenty of time to make their case to the voters .
A “sunset” clause would take nothing off anyone’s plate. But it might help us all move forward.
