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Stop commercialization of neighborhoods

The City Council’s March 18 agenda includes final approval of the Land Use Development Code. The vacation rentals section remains problematic.

According to the city planning department, the new code allows for 59 vacation rentals in the EN1 neighborhood (approximately East Third Avenue to East Eighth Avenue and First Street to Eighth Street). The numbers for EN2 and Animas City have not been determined by the planning department. Currently, there are 26 legal vacation rentals and an untold number of illegal vacation rentals in the city of Durango.

So, why does this matter? Increasing the number of vacation rentals reduces the raw number of housing units available for families, young professionals, retirees and students. Since the supply is diminished, the sales price will increase significantly. So, families, young professionals and retirees will be locked out of the market. Who benefits from increasing vacation rentals? Clearly, the real-estate and vacation-rental businesses directly benefit financially.

I’m not against vacation rentals per se, but isn’t 26 enough? Why do we continue to commercialize Durango neighborhoods for the pure goal of economic development – clearly the driving force for some council members tied to the vacation-rental and/or real-estate industry?

We need to protect our neighborhoods from further commercialization. We need to ensure the number of houses available for future members of our community is available at an affordable price.

So, if you take the long view of Durango’s future, then let your City Council members know – by email or attendance at the March 18 meeting – that neighborhoods are important, 26 units is enough and commercialization of neighborhoods must cease.

If you email, be sure to copy (cc) the community/planning department, so it’s a matter of public record. Ask the City Council members to be transparent in any relationship to the vacation-rental and real-estate industry.

Michael Todt

Durango



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