Englewood council shelves idea of multiplexes in single-family zoning

Will review ADUs

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Following months of conversation and several tense town hall meetings, the Englewood City Council has decided to no longer pursue two-to-four-unit multifamily buildings in single-family zoning, the city announced Tuesday.

At the April 17 city council meeting, the council members agreed to inde nitely end the conversation of potentially permitting two-to-fourunit buildings in R-1 zone districts, which are areas that have residential one-dwelling units, also known as single-family homes.

e consideration was part of the CodeNext project, an e ort to update Englewood’s Uni ed Development Code that details what types of development and property uses are permitted in certain sections, or zone districts, of the city.

e council had considered allowing for two-to-four-unit buildings to be built on some residential lots that exist within the city’s R-1 zone districts, as long as at least one of the units was more a ordable.

Some Englewood residents voiced support of the idea, creating the website yimbyenglewood.org. Other residents voiced opposition and also created a website, called stopenglewoodopoly.com.

On April 3, the city council decided to temporarily suspend the consideration of the inclusion of multifamily development types and standards within the city’s R-1 residential zone districts, in light of the proposed Colorado Senate Bill 23-213, a statewide measure calling for increased density.

“I think in the communications that we’ve done with the city to date, it has been delaying our conversation of R-1 until after we know what the state is going to do,” said Councilmember Chelsea Nunnenkamp.

“I think, regardless of what the state does, we don’t move forward with that,” she said. “And so I do support inde nitely ending the conversation on R-1.”

Mayor Othoniel Sierra said that in meeting with di erent groups of people in the city, residents have brought di erent ideas about how the city can increase density without a ecting the R-1 areas.

Sierra said his takeaway was that there should be some incremental changes made before the council starts making changes within the R-1 areas in terms of multifamily developments.

Councilmember Joe Anderson said he lost interest in the consideration when the city’s hired consultants suggested that the area median income (AMI) cuto for the morea ordable unit in each multiplex be set to 100% AMI rather than 80% AMI.

“Really, that really lost a lot of my interest in it at that point, and that was the point at which we … broke that o from the rest of CodeNext and then delayed it,” Anderson said, adding that he thinks removing this from consideration is best.

“I don’t think it’s gonna give us the level of a ordability that we had hoped, especially once that a ordability requirement was raised up to 100% AMI,” he said. “So I’m supportive of that suggestion and then just to — removing that inde nitely and continuing on with CodeNext, to conclude that process without that piece in it is appropriate.”

Nunnenkamp noted that the council is still in the drafting phase of the CodeNext project. rough the meetings she has had with residents, she said a question that has been raised is: What is the city’s overall housing plan?

“We need a more thoughtful, proactive, strategic plan for all of the housing in the city rather than trying to just start with code. It feels like we almost went a little out of order,” she said.

Nunnenkamp asked the council members if they would support establishing a housing task force and creating a strategic plan on housing. e council supported the idea, and the city announced on its Facebook page that the council will be “pursuing a comprehensive housing plan for the city with the appointment of an a ordable housing task force guiding the work over the next several months.”

Councilmember Rita Russell asked the councilmembers for support in removing the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) changes being considered in R-1 zone districts as part of CodeNext.