Durango City Council will allow restaurants to apply for permits to use part of their private parking spaces as a patio area.
In a unanimous vote, council approved moving forward on an amendment to the city’s land-use development code that allows restaurants to apply for a reduction of up to 33% of their required on-site parking to convert into commercial outdoor space with a special-use permit and up to 45% with a limited-use permit.
The decision to amend the land-use code stems from an emergency ordinance the city put in place during the pandemic to allow restaurants to maximize business potential by using outdoor space. The emergency ordinance allowed for 25% of parking spaces to be used as patio space.
“I think this goes hand in hand with what our community wants to see,” said councilor Jessika Buell. “With COVID-19, I think people want to be outside more, and not inside. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
Restaurants on north Main Avenue, such as Union Social House, saw great success with patios during the pandemic.
“It was very valuable for us to use that space, and it became a sense of place for us and for north Main Avenue,” said Union Social House owner Carol Clark. “We have been able to use that space tremendously in being able to keep the business operating.”
During last week’s public hearing, parking challenges in the neighborhoods off of north Main Avenue were brought up.
“The Union Social House fills up all around the corner on both sides of the street, which is basically my whole yard,” said Durango resident Sarah Musil.
City planner Savannah Lytle said that figuring out the lack of parking for residents who live near burgeoning businesses is a larger issue that the city must look into. However, she said that in most cases a 33% to 45% reduction of required parking spaces accounts for only one or two parking spaces being removed.
“In the context of these code amendments, we’re really only talking about one or two spaces,” she said. “So, it’s not going to have a greater impact on parking. But there is a larger conversation about these areas that are growing rapidly and how we address this so that residents can comfortably access their residence.”
Councilor Melissa Youssef said she would be interested in addressing the lack of parking for residents near popular businesses by having a discussion about a parking permit program. Most other councilors agreed they would be interested in a discussion about parking permits.
Lytle said many cities nationwide are changing land-use codes based on successful emergency ordinances that allowed for parking lot patios during the height of the pandemic.
“We saw that we’re not the only city to do this throughout the nation,” she said. “We saw quite a few businesses here in the city of Durango that opened up patio space with great success.”
Under the emergency ordinance, Lytle said the city received complaints from residents about patios not being Americans with Disabilities Act accessible, having poor lighting and having boundaries that are difficult to detect. She said with specific uses defined in the city’s codes, some resident concerns would become requirements for obtaining a permit.
In addition, those who apply for a patio permit must develop a minimum of two bicycle parking spaces for every one parking lot space converted for patio use.
It’s important to note these permits are not related to the bump-out dining areas that have seen great success downtown. Bump-outs use public parking spaces to allow restaurants to offer outside dining, while these permits allow for private parking spaces to be used for outdoor dining.
njohnson@durangohreald.com
