Carbondale planning commission continues ADU code review after wide-ranging debate on size, review tracks and short‑term rentals

The Planning and Zoning Commission of Carbondale continued a public hearing on proposed amendments to the town's Universal Development Code concerning accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on Sept. 11, 2025, voting to reconvene the hearing on Oct. 9, 2025. The panel spent the meeting debating bedroom counts, minimum and maximum square footage, a 66/33 size ratio tied to the primary dwelling, parking and neighborhood impacts, and whether ADUs should be eligible for short-term rental use.

Commissioners said the changes could expand housing options but also carry neighborhood impacts that merit careful rules and staged implementation. Ellie (staff planner) summarized the current administrative baseline: "Our current process requires a minor site plan and a conditional or special use, which means there's a public hearing involved," she told commissioners, framing why the group was weighing alternatives to the existing public‑hearing path.

Most discussion centered on three linked issues: unit size and bedroom counts; how an ADU is measured relative to the principal dwelling (the 66/33 ratio currently in the code); and the approval process (administrative vs. public hearing). Jared Morck, a commissioner who identified…