Monday, April 24 at 5 PM at the Public Works Committee in the City Council chambers there will be an important public hearing on Councilor Ives' proposed amendment to double the number of guest houses allowed on any lot in any part of the city.

We urge all neighborhoods to come and speak about how this will affect them.

The proposed amendment says that, regardless of the underlying zoning or density, any lot can have 2 guesthouses ("accessory dwelling units" or ADU's, as they're called in the code) up to a total of 1500 square feet.  This could include an added second story used as a guesthouse.

This proposal is a “one size fits all” amendment that affects all neighborhoods regardless of their current condition. Adding additional density to many neighborhoods can create numerous problems for the existing residents, including overcrowding, lack of privacy, parking, traffic, overuse of existing utilities, and others.

In theory, according to code, a permit for any guesthouse can only be given if the owner lives on the property but we know this has not been enforced.  And this amendment says that ALL 3 units can be rented out if they are rented to the same entity.

Also in theory, only 1 of the 3 units is supposed to be a short-term rental (STR), but we know that enforcement in this area has been lax as well.  There are now short-term rentals in virtually every neighborhood in town.

The ostensible reason for this amendment is to provide more affordable housing, but there is no requirement that any of the ADU's be affordable.

This went to Planning Commission on April 6.  Councilor Ives did not consult with any neighborhoods before that meeting. When asked why, he said, “It's an imperfect world”.

Most of the commissioners were concerned that no neighborhoods had been consulted and urged Councilor Ives to do so before this amendment went to council, which is now fast-tracked to be heard May 10.

Two commissioners, Jack Hiatt and Roman Abeyta, voted against recommending this amendment because of the lack of neighborhood input.  Commission Abeyta was also skeptical that this would result in an increase in affordable housing.

Many of the commissioners, even those who voted to recommend, had concerns about the impact of this amendment on neighborhoods and made specific suggestions about how it could be improved. Additionally, there were parts of the amendment that they felt needed to be clarified.

We do not know if Monday's hearing is going to be the only opportunity neighborhoods have to speak about this before it goes to the full council.

The Neighborhood Network feels that what is needed is an actual working meeting where all sides can express their concerns and work together, with staff, to craft a bill that is better for the whole community.

If you are able, please come to the Public Works Committee and speak to this amendment.

To see the proposed amendments, go to http://www.santafenm.gov/legislative_services and in the "pending legislation" box, click on "accessory dwelling units".