Durango’s city limits are poised to grow, adding new addresses to the city’s tax rolls and validating a trendy urban development concept as an option for Southwest Colorado.
City Council on Tuesday approved an expansion of Durango city limits by 1.77 acres to annex a piece of property in southern Durango that has been approved for the development of 22 tiny homes, which are typically less than 400 square feet.
The council voted 4-0. City councilor Chris Bettin did not attend Tuesday meeting. The annexation must be approved a second time.
The project is called Escalante Village, and all that is left after the second approval by council is administrative procedures before the project is built, said Kevin Hall, assistant city manager.
The modern tiny home movement started sometime in the 1980s, gained traction in the 1990s and was further propelled by the Great Recession and the housing crisis that accompanied it, according to Curbed, a media organization that, in part, covers trends in American cities.
The addition of the 1.77 acres between Escalante Middle School and Walmart to city property won’t burden resources much, Hall said. The property is already surrounded by the city, and most of the infrastructure the community will need is already built, he said. The annexation will require the Durango Police Department to patrol the area, but Durango Fire Protection District already covers the area.
From its inception in 1880 to present day, Durango has grown by a factor of 20, from 532 acres to 10,926 acres today, according to a map that explains how Durango has grown since it was founded.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
