Carbondale planners debate raising Old Town Residential impervious cap to enable ADUs

CARBONDALE — The Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 23 debated whether to relax Old Town Residential (OTR) impervious-lot-coverage limits to make detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) feasible on lots with rear garages and long driveways.

At the start of the meeting, staff recapped earlier decisions: a proposed ADU minimum size of 250 square feet, a likely maximum of about 1,000–1,200 square feet, a 60/40 main-building-to-ADU ratio, and a unanimous preliminary decision to prohibit short-term rentals for ADUs. The bulk of the evening’s public comments and commissioner debate then focused on whether OTR’s current 42% limit should rise to 52% (the town’s low‑density residential maximum) or to a number between 42%…