Council extends moratorium on accessory structure applications

Options still available for new homes

[  By Mark Reaman  ]

The Crested Butte town council voted 6-1 on August 15 to extend the moratorium for reviewing, approving or issuing permits for heated and plumbed accessory structures. Such a moratorium has been in place a year but the staff requested a six month extension.

The goal is to allow the staff time to comprehensively study the town’s residential accessory structure regulations and explore ways to facilitate the construction of more accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as part of the town’s overall housing strategy. But the Community Compass planning process has soaked up all the staff time in the planning department so most of the study work has not begun. Community Development director Troy Russ assured the council that the work can be completed by early 2023.

“The Compass delayed the staff’s ability to do the research,” he said at the August 2 meeting. 

The moratorium applies only to individuals submitting new development applications. It does not apply to accessory buildings such as non-heated garages or sheds, or to ADUs being proposed. In a memo to council Russ pointed out that “those seeking residential development approvals would have several options with the moratorium in place, including to wait to build an accessory building (pending the results of the moratorium), build an ADU, build a cold accessory structure, or build an attached garage.”

“Staff doesn’t take moratoriums lightly,” said councilmember Jason MacMillan at the August 15 meeting. “I appreciate that the staff is trying to do this as quickly as possible.”

Mayor Ian Billick voted against the extension.