Littleton council pauses Ordinance 31; directs staff to prioritize ADU compliance and broader engagement on duplexes

The City of Littleton City Council on Jan. 7 held a study session on “neighborhood housing opportunities,” reiterating a prior motion to postpone Ordinance 31 and directing staff to draft code updates that comply with new state mandates for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) while planning broader, slower engagement on duplexes and other missing‑middle housing types.

Mayor (title only) opened the session by saying the meeting was an informal study session and that no formal votes would be taken that night. She traced the policy background to a 2016 direction for a housing study presented in 2017, the 2019 comprehensive plan and subsequent Unified Land Use Code updates; the council has discussed missing‑middle forms — dwelling types under 10 units such as duplexes and triplexes — as part of that multi‑year process.

Nut graf: The council reiterated a January 7 motion (moved by Councilmember Peters and seconded by Councilmember Driscoll) to postpone Ordinance 31 indefinitely and to ask staff for an incremental approach. Staff told council it must also meet several state deadlines — notably a July 1, 2025 compliance date for ADU-related legislative requirements — and recommended fast‑tracking the state‑mandated technical updates while using a…