One of many topics addressed in the proposed Land-Use and Development Code is parking. The city looked to reduce parking requirements while addressing some of the drawbacks reduction can produce like spillover, congestion and idling vehicles. Some ideas to remedy the situation include different parking zones and increasing the distance for remote parking spaces./ Photo by Steve Eginoire

As the city moves into the final stages of a four-year endeavor, two main topics are taking over discussions. One is about simplicity and the other … not so much.
Creating a user-friendly and efficient system is one of the things touted by Durango staff when it comes to the proposed Land Use and Development Code, not updated since 1989. A new computer program to assist with navigation and clearly defined requirements are expected to save the city, residents and developers both time and money when it comes to being up to code.
On the other side of these final discussions is vacation rentals, a more complicated topic that still remains on the table. City officials are looking to move forward with the updated land-use code while they work out the details of what could be a controversial and hotly debated issue in the community.
The proposed code, which was approved by the city Planning Commission on Jan. 15, won’t be voted on by the City Council until May. This will give staff time to make minor changes, as well as deal with the issue of vacation rentals.
When the process of updating the city’s code began in 2009, vacation rentals were not as popular as they are today. In the last several years, that’s all changed.
During a recent council study session on the code, City Manager Ron LeBlanc said, “Vacation rentals are here to stay.”
With that now on the table, the city is looking to address the specifics of spacing, parking, occupancy and other details. They’ll also seek public input over the next several months.
During the study session, which also included the Planning Commission, city staff compared the issue and the process to accessory dwelling units, a part of the updated code that was addressed earlier.
Knowing that it would likely be a contentious issue, ADUs were treated separately last year with specific public hearings. The council approved that section in October.
The flip side of complicated or controversial topics like vacation rentals and ADUs is the overall simplicity and ease-of-use that the city is shooting for in the end.
One of the ways the city is attempting to get there is a new computer program that will make accessing the code and its requirements easier for residents and developers.
The online version of the proposed code will allow anyone to easily find out what they need to do to make their projects meet requirements. Features like drop-down menus so users can see alternatives or equations that calculate how many parking spaces a project requires, are expected to make the process user-friendly and answer a lot of questions before official requests are even submitted.
Brett Keast, principal of Kendig Keast Collaborative, the Denver consulting group tapped to assist the city with updating the code, said it can actually foster creativity because users can view alternatives.

Another feature that could make things simpler is length. It might seem counter-intuitive, but Keast said the new document is longer than the old one because it offers greater detail and clarity.
For anyone looking to meet the code’s requirements, it will answer more questions for them before they seek approval. It could mean less time spent in the back-and-forth with staff or at commission meetings.
“There should be increased predictability with this process,” Keast said.
With things more clearly defined under the streamlined process, it also means staff would have the ability to approve more projects and requests without the need for additional commission and board meetings.
Besides the ease-of-use and vacation rentals, other topics that have been updated from the 1989 version include zoning and parking.
The biggest change to zoning is the breakup of “Light Commercial” into four different zones: Mixed Use Neighborhood, which includes College Drive, East 8th Avenue and properties along Florida Road; Mixed Use Arterial, specific to Main Avenue north of the Main Avenue bridge; General Commercial; and Regional Commercial, for properties like the Durango Mall and Walmart.
The owners of these properties were sent letters by the city letting them know of the proposed changes and giving them the opportunity to respond. Staff members said most of the owners understood the changes, while some had specific questions and concerns that needed to be addressed.
Another substantial topic updated was parking. The idea is to reduce parking requirements for businesses and residents while addressing some of the drawbacks like spillover, congestion and idling vehicles.
Some of those code changes include creating different types of parking zones, increasing the distance for remote parking spaces and changing the dimensions of parking spaces, cutting out some larger spaces based on width and angle.
The city also addressed federal changes to floodplain requirements, landscaping issues like tree protection, open space requirements for developments, adding in the city’s Complete Street Policy, and creating a new use permit called the “Limited Use Permit,” which replaces the Conditional Use Permit in some circumstances.
During the joint study session, Keast expressed his appreciation for city staff’s involvement in the process. He said not all municipalities he works with on land-use codes commit to the process.
The code is considered by Keast, city staff and those involved to be a working document that might need minor adjustments over the years. With this in mind, staff suggested a review in two years.
Over the next few months, though, the goal is to complete minor changes, create a plan to implement the updated code and, of course, tackle the topic of vacation rentals.