A moratorium on condominiums in single-family neighborhoods in Durango passed the City Council unanimously Tuesday.
The moratorium prevents anyone from submitting plans for a condo project in these areas for 60 days, said Nicol Killian, the city’s planning manager.
The City Council held the special session to pass the condominium moratorium after an oversight was discovered in the city’s Land Use and Development Code, which was revised in 2014.
City Councilors will likely extend the moratorium through November, an extension that would give the city time to pass amendments to the land-use code, Killian said.
The revised land-use code did not specifically prohibit condos in single-family neighborhoods, and residents brought their concerns about the condo loophole to the City Council last week.
The previous code did specifically prohibit these condo developments, and it was an oversight by city staff members that this prohibition was not carried over, Killian said.
“The idea is we do not want to see condos in our single-family neighborhoods unless we get different direction from City Council,” she said.
The moratorium does not address those areas within historic neighborhoods zoned multifamily.
These pockets of multifamily development raised concerns with some residents because the city’s code allows for detached condos or two single-family homes to be built on lots that would otherwise be too small to be subdivided into two parcels. A lot must be 10,000 square feet to qualify for a subdivision, she said.
Killian said the planning department would present more information to councilors in late August on the issue, and city planners would ask for more guidance.
If the council would like to make zoning changes to the small areas where apartments, townhouses and condos are allowed, it could trigger a longer process with more public meetings.
The councilors did not express opinions on the condos or the pockets of multifamily housing during the 15-minute meeting.
Councilor Dick White said he was taken aback when the issue was raised by residents.
“Let’s make sure nothing else comes through until we can get this language cleaned up,” White said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
