The Durango City Council decided to allow the potential for greater housing density in East Animas City by giving residents the right to build accessory dwelling units on smaller lots.
The councilors were presented with a choice between requiring a 7,500-square-foot minimum lot size or a 8,500 minimum lot size upon which a property owner would need to build an ADU.
Only Councilor Dick White supported requiring larger lot sizes because it would maintain the character of the neighborhood.
“In my mind, 7,500, the largest square footage … is not anything but conservative,” said Councilor Dean Brookie, and three councilors agreed.
The need for greater housing ran up against the desire to preserve the character of the neighborhood in the final discussion about the minimum lot size.
The virtues of both options fully were explored by about 40 people.
The 8,500-square-foot minimum would have allowed about 45 percent of the lots to have a second unit. The 7,500-square-foot minimum will allow for about 75 percent of the lots to have a second unit.
Those who argued for the smaller lot size supported more accessory dwelling units, and they said the associated rental income would help more families to afford mortgages to move in.
“I really do believe the ADUs are what allow families to move in,” Mikel Love said, an Animas City resident.
The greater density raised serious questions around parking, traffic and destabilization of the neighborhood for those on the other side of the argument.
“I’m very concerned about maintaining safety and security,” said Chris Paulson, Animas City resident, who felt increased density would negatively impact the neighborhood.
The laws for ADUs in East Animas City will go into effect May 6.
A public meeting will be scheduled in late April or early May on the topic of registering ADUs. The registration will open in mid-May and continue to Dec. 31.
The units will be subject to all of the same rules as those in the historical neighborhoods, where ADUs already are allowed.
The owners of existing ADUs will have to pay the city fees that were in place the year the unit was built, if it was built after 1989.
These fees, which could be up to about $7,000, can be paid back over five years.
Those that were built before 1989 have to pay only the application fee.
Residents who do not register their unit voluntarily before December may not have the option to pay fees back over time, said Nicol Killian, the city planning manager. In addition, they may have to pay the fees currently in place, she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
