Monte Vista council moves to address long-term vehicle storage, parking on Second Block of Adams Street

Patty Robertson, a Monte Vista business owner renovating a former Farm Bureau building on the Second Block of Adams Street, told the Monte Vista City Council that vehicles stored for days or weeks are blocking access to downtown businesses and posing health and safety concerns.

“There are derelict vehicles that are not registered stored behind the buildings in the commercial district, which is in violation of section 12-17-110 of the city code,” Robertson said, and she asked the council to prohibit overnight parking on the Second Block and to limit parking to two or three hours during business hours.

The council and staff outlined steps already under way: Community Development staff will send compliance letters to property owners and tenants, the city is recruiting a dedicated code enforcer, and staff will draft an ordinance that could create two-hour parking and address permitting for residents above businesses. Interim Chief Tyler Hartford and DJ in planning said the city will hold owners as well as tenants responsible for property violations to improve compliance. Council members asked for a short work session on the ordinance before a final proposal.

Why it matters: Robertson said new and remodeled businesses — including a direct primary care clinic she is developing and a new bakery — will bring customers who need short-term parking. She also raised environmental and emergency-access concerns, saying she smelled oil leaking from a tote in an alley and that alley blockages have impeded access.

Council members acknowledged the complexity: some storefronts have apartments above them that lack off-street parking, and past informal agreements with a specific property owner complicate enforcement. Staff said they found other downtown properties out of compliance during alley inspections and will issue letters with deadlines in March; a new code enforcer is expected to help follow through with notices and possible fines and municipal-court referrals if cleanup does not occur.

Other details cited at the meeting: Robertson said that on Feb. 4 four of eight vehicles observed on the block had expired tags (two with 2022, one with 2023 and one with 2024 tags). Current city code allows 72 hours before towing an abandoned or inoperable vehicle; Robertson said that window had been used repeatedly by the same vehicle custodians. Robertson also said she was concerned, but hesitant to report environmental contamination directly to federal authorities because she believed a city report could trigger penalties for the municipality.

Staff response and next steps: Gigi Mint, City Manager, said staff will prepare an ordinance draft and recommended a work session so council can weigh resident permit options (for upstairs apartments) and enforcement capacity. DJ (Community Development) said letters will go to properties identified as out of compliance and a timeline will be included. Hartford said the city intends to hold landowners responsible when tenants violate municipal code. Councilors asked staff to avoid targeting a single business and to design an equitable approach across the business district.

The discussion did not include a council vote; council directed staff to draft the ordinance, proceed with outreach and mail compliance notices with an initial clean-up deadline in March.

Ending: Staff said they will return with a draft ordinance and a recommended enforcement plan and that the new code enforcer will help implement compliance actions once on board.