My longtime neighbors recently got a threatening letter from our city government about their house. They have lived in a four-bedroom, two-bath home on a large lot that their kids grew up in and who have since left home. No longer needing the extra space, they converted two of the bedrooms and a bath into a small one bedroom apartment. This provided them with some extra income and more importantly, it provided needed affordable housing.
The city is telling them they have an illegal accessory-dwelling unit, and they will have to pay more than $11,000 in fees to the city for an extra water/sewer-tap fee, parking fees, school fees and an application fee for this ADU – all this when there are fewer people living in the house, less water is being used, they have off-street parking and there are no school-age kids. When did the city government decide on a policy to extort this kind of money from homeowners?
What began with council some time ago as “affordable housing” has morphed into an abomination that will actually eliminate affordable housing in Durango. My neighbors will either have to pay this exorbitant amount of money and raise rent to cover the cost, or shut down the apartment.
If they don’t comply, will the city send in Nazi storm troopers banging at their door demanding to search their home for a possible ADU violation? Will the city want to search your home, too?
The City Council is trying to press this law into effect, presumably, before some of them are voted out of office. Or is this scam to take our money coming from the city manager or planning director? Who knows? Maybe these fees are being charged to provide money for more $16,500 dinner parties to outgoing staff like David Smith, or for more $28,000 scrap metal sculptures. Either way, it appears that our City Council and city staff are out of touch with the people and needs of our community.
Jeff Lowminsky
Durango
