All Carbondale trustees were present for the continuation of a hearing on new accessory dwelling units (ADU) regulations that will make the process easier for homeowners to build them. Several other important topics graced the agenda.
It began with two proclamations. The first honored April 2026 as National Donate Life Month. The second celebrated the “Let’s Make a Splash” capital campaign committee for raising $2.1 million toward building the new aquatics center poised to open May 23.
The consent agenda: authorized Town Clerk Patrick Thibault to appoint judges for the April 7 municipal election; awarded a chip sealing contract to GMCO, LLC for $258,745; approved the purchase of KARDA software for the Police Department at $8,400 per year to assist with drafting police reports using artificial intelligence (AI). Town Manager Ryan Hyland explained that use of the KARDA tool will comply with the Town’s overarching AI policy which is reviewed annually.
For general public comments, Lisa Paige, chair of the Tree Board, announced an Arbor Day planting at Hendrick Park on May 2. Jessica Congdon expressed dismay with overdevelopment and increasing costs. “How can we quit advertising and promoting Carbondale so it is not so ripe with profit potential?” she asked. “How can we go quiet for a few years and focus on the bigger picture of humanity’s evolution?”
The first action item was an agreement with Mountain Waste & Recycling to take over operations of the yard waste drop site which EverGreen ZeroWaste managed for four years. A second item extended the residential curbside trash and recycling collection with Mountain Waste for another two years. Both items were unanimously approved.
Next, the Public Works Department requested increasing a fee in lieu of water rights dedication from $3,465 per acre-foot to $13,400 per acre-foot for new development given the current cost of obtaining senior water rights. As explained by Public Works Director Kevin Schorzman, Carbondale has a strong water rights portfolio, “but as we expand, the cushion — the excess capacity of those — gets smaller.” He suggested that larger developments, like Downtown North, should be made to acquire actual water rights, while this fee would apply to smaller infill projects, lot splits and ADUs. An official proposal will be prepared for approval at the next regular meeting.
Lastly, Trustees continued their hearing on a code amendment to facilitate the building of ADUs. The March 11 discussion resulted in the Trustees supporting the allowance of short-term rentals in ADUs, which went against the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) recommendation. P&Z followed up with a memo reiterating their posture.
During public comments, P&Z member Jeff Davlyn also raised the concern of not requiring a parking space for an ADU unless it has more than one bedroom. This, in conjunction with allowing short-term rentals, could have significant impacts on a neighborhood, he warned.
The Trustees stuck by their previous analysis: Homeowners should be allowed the flexibility to use an ADU as they choose and ordinances governing short-term rentals can be more easily adjusted as necessary. The decision to not require parking unless an ADU has more than one bedroom was also upheld.
Impervious lot coverage was briefly addressed. This determines how much of a property can be built on, including surface-level improvements where water is obstructed from seeping into the ground, such as a driveway. The Old Town Residential (OTR) zone district allows for less impervious lot coverage. Homeowner Kenny Teitler requested during public comment that the OTR be treated the same as other low-density residential areas. The broader conversation was saved for another time.
To further facilitate the construction of ADUs, a third tier for the approval process was removed from the original proposal. Now, ADUs that are fully-contained within an existing structure would require only a building permit. All ADUs that involve exterior modifications to an existing primary structure or are detached would require an administrative site plan review by town staff. Appeals and variances can be heard by the Board of Adjustments.
Carbondale has many planned unit developments (PUD) each governed by their own rules and many disallow ADUs. For changes to apply to those areas, the Town will explore initiating a PUD amendment per PUD which would involve a public hearing with those residents.
This hearing was continued to April 14, the final meeting with this specific composition of the Board of Trustees. Newly-elected trustees will be inaugurated on April 21. Public comments on the proposed changes can still be emailed to trustees@carbondaleco.net for inclusion in the public record.