A note to devoted City Span watchers: You might have to eat dinner in front of the television Tuesday.
The Durango City Council will be starting its regular meeting an hour early, at 5:30 p.m., to accommodate a public hearing on the contentious issue of accessory dwellings, also known as mother-in-law apartments and alley cottages.
The order of the agenda will be reshuffled so the public hearing can begin around 6 p.m.
The ADU issue has divided residents between those who like the income potential from renters and those who fear it will lead to overcrowding and loss of privacy in the neighborhood.
The city has been debating accessory dwellings for about two years as part of a new land-use development code.
Because of the interest, officials have decided to have a separate hearing on the subject before voting on the new land use development code later this year.
For those dreading a drawn-out meeting on lot-size restrictions, owner occupancy rules and the other fine points of ADU regulations, there is some hope.
When the Planning Commission heard the same issue two weeks ago, the meeting concluded within three hours.
jhaug@durangoherald.com
