Manitou Springs residents have a unique opportunity to affect a very important code process — right now! After 70 years of living with an old zoning code, the city has begun the process of updating it.
During 2016, citizens requested that the category of Housing and Neighborhood be added to our municipal master plan, advocating for more affordable housing and greater housing diversity.
Yet our outdated codes have not allowed us to make many changes. Minimum lot sizes, minimum housing sizes, setback requirements, density requirements, etc. have required homeowners to conform to the outdated concept of single-family homes.
These homes (averaging 2,687 square feet in 2015) have been considered the standard to aspire to since post-World War II. Their creation was grounded in racism.
Suburbs were built, restrictive covenants created and redlining in defined areas developed to exclude many ethnic groups.
Single-family housing has become a great wealth accumulator, resulting in such a high cost of housing that, even though many laws have changed to allow more diverse ownership, very few can afford them. Studies show that the high cost of housing is driving widening inequality in the United States, especially for young people and people of color.
During this time of undeniable climate change, we must admit that these sprawling, underutilized homes have environmental consequences as well — increased emissions from heating and cooling, additional appliances and just plain more stuff that will end up in landfills.
Changing the zoning to allow more people to live in these homes through concepts such as co-housing and home sharing would at least spread out the responsibility for the carbon footprint.
One simple change in Manitou Springs’ zoning code will provide much opportunity for diverse housing construction and dynamic lifestyle here. That is to allow more permitted uses in existing single-family home zones.
Some believe that this idea could be expanded to allow more permitted uses in all zones by right.
Even though our housing remains the same, American daily life and preferences have changed dramatically in the last 70 years.
We are more virtual, more mobile and less stable. People marry later, have fewer children and live longer. Twenty-five percent of people living in Manitou Springs are older than 60.
A 2018 study by AARP showed that three out of four adults older than 50 want to age in place. According to the U.S. Census bureau, 28 percent of Americans are now living alone.
As our growing percentage of baby boomers continue to age, they will find the large single-family homes a burden to care for both physically and financially. Many may be ready to downsize.
We all know that Manitou Springs is pretty “built out.” There are less than 20 acres of developable land left. Given this, how do we continue to evolve and develop as a city?
With proper zoning, there is one solution that can provide additional housing: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Formerly called “Granny Flats,” these small-footprint homes can be created in Manitou.
Zoning should be reformed so that every single-family dwelling is allowed a second dwelling unit if it meets appropriate fire and building codes. Additionally, allowing ADUs would increase the city’s property tax revenues offsetting the cost of additional regulations.
The advantages:
ADUs may be contained within a house, attached to a house or a free-standing cottage;
ADUs provide housing for family members, students, the elderly, in-home health care providers, the disabled and others at below market prices within existing neighborhoods;
Homeowners who create ADUs benefit from added income and an increased sense of security; and
Allowing ADUs in residential zones provides additional rental housing stock.
The federal government is falling short of meeting current and future housing demand with serious con-
sequences. Climate refugees are already arriving. Where may they be housed?
The Manitou Springs Planning Department is asking for citizen input during this Zoning re-write process.
Please go to bit.ly/2ZwhMjv or contact Planning Director Christine Ames-Lowenberg at 412-2343 or clowenberg@manitouspringsco.gov and say, “yes in my backyard!!” for accessory dwelling units.
Coreen Toll is a Housing Advisory Board chair member.