We heard the same argument two years ago when the existing council was trying to adopt the new Land Use Development Code before the election. I believe the new LUDC is actually better because significant issues were more thoroughly examined and decided rather than having something very important to the community rushed through.

Rezoning a whole residential neighborhood to allow higher density needs to be determined by a consensus of, or a vote by, the property owners (300 parcels) in our neighborhood. Many of us have lived in this neighborhood for decades, and if it takes longer to come to an agreement on an issue this important, so be it – even if there is a City Council election in April.

It is misleading for the city planning department to infer there were not zoning regulations in place in Animas City prior to 1989. Second residences, habitable structures or additional dwellings have never been allowed in Animas City since 1948. Animas City was annexed into the city of Durango on January 1, 1948. Municipal Ordinance 778 adopted August 31, 1948 amended the 1941 Zoning Ordinance of the City of Durango to “include all the territory which was formerly known and platted as the Town of Animas City.” The 1948 Building Zone Map Amendment clearly shows Animas City zoned R-1 for “one family dwellings.”

I believe that ADUs should only be allowed in EN-3 by a majority mail-in ballot vote of the legal property owners in Animas City.

If the results of this vote were to approve ADUs in EN-3, we also need reasonable controls on the number and density of ADUs so as not to adversely affect the existing character of our peaceful residential neighborhood.

David McHenry

Durango