Grand Junction planning commission recommends zoning code changes to allow more housing types, tighter block and lot standards

The City of Grand Junction Planning Commission on Sept. 29 voted 6-0 to recommend that City Council approve a text amendment to Title 21 of the Zoning and Development Code that would broaden where certain housing types are allowed, change setback rules and add maximum lot and block dimensions.

City principal planner Daniella Costa Stein introduced the amendment, saying it is intended to increase housing supply and flexibility and to comply with recent state law. "Housing is housing," Costa Stein said, summarizing the staff view that allowing single‑family detached homes and duplexes in higher‑density residential districts will provide more feasible infill options.

The amendment would add single‑family detached homes in the RM‑12, RH‑16 and RH‑24 districts and duplexes in RH‑16 and RH‑24; it would also permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right in the residential districts affected and in MU‑1 and P‑2, aligning the code with the requirements of HB 24‑11‑152, which staff said requires ADUs be allowed as a matter of right in residential districts.

Staff said the proposal also creates dimensional standards specific to single‑unit and duplex lots in the higher residential districts to protect the intended compact urban form. For RM‑12 the proposed maximum lot area for single‑unit and duplex lots is 8,000 square feet, with maximum lot width of 50 feet and maximum lot frontage of 40 feet. For RH‑16 and RH‑24 the plan would set a maximum…