Paonia Planning Commission working on ADU code to increase housing options
The Paonia Planning Commission is working on changes to the town’s accessory dwelling unit code to encourage the development of affordable housing.
Consultant Leslie Klusmire is working on a rewrite of the code, and has asked for input from the planning commission.
At a meeting earlier this month, discussion focused on the differences between ADUs, tiny homes, and apartments, and how those differences should be specified in the code.
Commissioners considered the possibility of allowing ADUs in commercial and industrial zones, rather than just residential. Several favored the change, but noted that commercial buildings already permit secondary dwelling units.
Commissioners tentatively agreed to define an ADU as having a maximum of 750-800 square feet.
The commission also leaned toward applying the same rules to both attached and detached ADUs. They also agreed to keep tiny houses a separate dwelling type in the code.
Throughout the discussion, commissioners returned to the central point of the rewrite, encouraging people to put "rental opportunities in play that wouldn't otherwise do it."
Klusmire has been asked to return with clearer definitions distinguishing ADUs from apartments.
Montrose rallies behind teacher diagnosed with brain tumor
The Montrose community is rallying around Rodd Warren, a physical education teacher at Northside Elementary, after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Warren got the news in July, just two weeks before the birth of his third child, a baby girl. His wife, Tori, is also an educator, and teaches music at Cottonwood elementary.
Northside parent and Parent Action Committee president Joelle Recalde says Warren has made a lasting impression on students, staff, and families. “He's just such a light, and when he walks in the halls, he's like a celebrity," she told us. "He's done such wonderful work with the kids, and everybody loves him, and we all miss him terribly.”
Friends of the Warrens have organized a spaghetti dinner and silent auction this Saturday at Elks Lodge to help cover medical expenses.
Recalde says the community has already shown an outpouring of support, with donations and messages of encouragement coming in. "It just shows what a great community we live in and how much people really care about the Montrose locals and how much they want to show up to support them," she says.
Tickets will be available at the door and at Northside and Cottonwood elementary schools. The fundraiser runs from 5 to 8 p.m. this Saturday at the Elks Lodge in Montrose.
National park accessibility
Reservation systems at national parks tend to favor wealthier visitors. A new study looked at parks nationwide and highlights the tricky balance between easing crowds and allowing access. For our Mountain West News Bureau, David Condos reports from Utah.
A very agricultural weekend in Montrose
There are two Ag related events at the Montrose County Event Center starting tomorrow. KVNF's Brody Wilson spoke with the organizers about what to expect.
