Cortez Land Use Code *Virtual* Open House!

this is really confusing! Two attached units but not a duplex?

I think this works but don't want to lose the 50% and upstairs requirements (unless we really do want to change these). It's confusing to most users that "apartments" are allowed but you can't do pure multi-family, only mixed use. It might be best to eliminate the apartment word and speak about mixed use.

Good description, I believe pedestrian friendly (walking and biking) is important

Yes, second story apartments seem like a good idea.

Detached ADU's should also be included so long as they can meet infrastructure and setback requirements.

Consider changing manufactured homes and parks to at least conditional uses in the R2 zone. This will help open more properties to new development opportunities. In many areas where R2 borders MH, these developments make sense to add inventory to help with the housing issues we are seeing in Cortez.

Something I feel very strongly about is a dark night code for all homes and businesses. Perhaps, by a certain year all outside light fixtures can be replaced by dark night, light fixtures, and any future homes and businesses should be built with only dark night fixtures. The stars are what gave you your gods and your churches, and gave us the abilities to plant and know the weather know the seasons, and were so much more highly regarded by the ancients. Explorers depended on them to explore the planet. It will get to the point where you’ll never be able to see them again and you continue to build without this consideration. I grew up in Phoenix and as a child, I laid in my yard and stared at the stars and then there came a time when I had nothing to stare at . We are a part of the stars we are made up of Stardust. I know this sounds really corny, but that’s the reality of it. Don’t forget the stars when it comes to your codes. I live at Southern Bluff and I’ve almost been booed off the HOA meetings, trying to get people to understand to keep their lights off at night. I grew up at a time when the code was in fact it was a statute that at 10 o’clock at night your lights went out. I know some people think it’s a safety thing but I feel it’s the opposite if you give enough light to criminals do their business it’s a very good benefit for them . People don’t realize that when they come to sneak your stuff away it’s in the middle of the morning when you’re at the deepest part of your sleep. you can have all the lights on that you want but you’ll never know what happened until the real light such as the sun comes up and you see what’s happened to you.

Modular homes can be insured the same way site built homes. "Kit" homes or "Barndominiums" are a lesser risk for fire, wind, and hail than manufactured or mobile homes. However, many people try to interchange "modular" and "manufactured." They are not the same and the code should reflect this.

Absolutely. There is no reason not to have upstairs apartments in these buildings if they can be fire safe.

Now seeing the map of what counts as NBD, these should be primarily residential, with only some businesses mixed in. These are largely homes, and while some of them might function beautifully as coffee shops, bars, boutiques, or salons, most are obviously homes and should be continue to be homes.

This description does not really explain what types of businesses are allowed. I do not know what a "small scale service establishment" might be, nor what what is meant by the development being more constrained than newer developments means. Our house may be in this area. What does this mean?

Please make sure that highway districts stop and have clear end points between towns so that towns do not simply spread into on another along the highways.

Excellent description

If anything, there is too much flexibility. I would be a bit more concerned about the definitions being too broad and allowing too much flexibility, leading to conflicts when one neighbor considers that their "lovely" home, which is technically "modular" is now going to be next to a less lovely more transient appearing structure. I hope that there are significant details that I cannot see from this document specifying exactly what can be built to keep that from happening.

The Zone District name Residential Estate appears to be an historical designation to account for certain properties, rather than a designation that would be selected for properties as they were developed. The description of that name might more accurately reflect that so that if and when those properties change hands in the future, it is considered if it is appropriate for rural properties to remain within the city or if they would then be developed into a higher density. If that has already been done, please disregard the entire section of my comment. Otherwise, the Zone District names reflect the intent and purpose of the proposed uses clearly and well.

The description below mentions "walkable." Is the R-1 zoning not also intended to be "walkable?" The inclusion of walkable in this zone would indicate a preference for sidewalks to allow those not in cars to access services.

This description is an improvement over no description, and still would benefit from additional work. Is "more characteristically rural" perhaps meant to describe areas historically more rural rather than this intended to remain that way?

Is there more description for this, like "prefab constructed at factory and put together on site".

Potentially

Leaning toward more commercial

Love this description

Vacation rentals in residential areas should be explicitly banned in a residential areas. Vacation rentals have had a drastic negative impact on housing in all communities in this country. Vacation rentals take much needed community and work force housing off the market thus driving up prices of any remaining long term rental units. They also take houses for sale off of the retail market as people tend to hold on to houses as vacation rentals instead of selling. Less houses for sale has drastically increased home prices. Vacation rentals are destroying the middle class and contributing to homelessness. Let the hospitality industry handle travelers and keep all residential zoned neighborhoods for community members and for work force housing.

There should be more allowance of apartments and multi family in all residential areas.

There is a housing crisis in Montezuma County. ADUs should be allowed in all resudential areas. Vacation rentals should be banned in ALL residential areas

Yes

Yes - I live in Cortez

Does RE make sense in the City? We only have 1 property zoned RE, maybe we just combine it with another zoning district?