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City council outlines changes to 'U+2' law
Stephen Lin
Issue date: 1/22/09 Section: News
The 3-Unrelated, or U + 2, ordinance that prevents more than three unrelated people from living together still remains a concern to students and Fort Collins community members as the City Council prepares to vote next month on two changes that could further tighten the law.
Felix Lee, director of Neighborhood and Building Services, and Mike Gebo, Deputy Building official, spoke to the Associated Students of CSU during its weekly Senate meeting to explain the housing code revisions that could change the definition of a family and allow the city to issue immediate citations rather than give a warning.
Gebo said that the intention is to "make it an effective ordinance" and that it is "the repeat offenders (the city) is trying to correct." He went on to say that the goal of U + 2 is to "establish and maintain single family neighborhoods."
In accordance with this sentiment, the city of Fort Collins' Web site said U + 2 was originally created in order to "ensure the health and safety of residents."
Currently, if a citation is issued for a violation of the occupancy limit, residents may be fined up to $1,000 for each person. Gebo said, however, citations were rarely issued once the situation was corrected.
In addition to the power to issue immediate citations, the council will vote on a change to the definition of "family."
Currently, Neighborhood Services of the Fort Collins Government states that the limit for any dwelling unit is "one family … and not more than one additional person" or "two adults and their dependents, if any, and not more than one additional person."
The City Staff will propose a change to "family" which will be "exclusively either, a family in which all members are related plus one additional person; or, a family is exclusively two unrelated adults and their dependants plus one additional person."
After it was established two years ago, U + 2 has been met with controversy from some in the student population and many have argued that the ordinance is anti-student, limiting student's housing options.
Felix Lee, director of Neighborhood and Building Services, and Mike Gebo, Deputy Building official, spoke to the Associated Students of CSU during its weekly Senate meeting to explain the housing code revisions that could change the definition of a family and allow the city to issue immediate citations rather than give a warning.
Gebo said that the intention is to "make it an effective ordinance" and that it is "the repeat offenders (the city) is trying to correct." He went on to say that the goal of U + 2 is to "establish and maintain single family neighborhoods."
In accordance with this sentiment, the city of Fort Collins' Web site said U + 2 was originally created in order to "ensure the health and safety of residents."
Currently, if a citation is issued for a violation of the occupancy limit, residents may be fined up to $1,000 for each person. Gebo said, however, citations were rarely issued once the situation was corrected.
In addition to the power to issue immediate citations, the council will vote on a change to the definition of "family."
Currently, Neighborhood Services of the Fort Collins Government states that the limit for any dwelling unit is "one family … and not more than one additional person" or "two adults and their dependents, if any, and not more than one additional person."
The City Staff will propose a change to "family" which will be "exclusively either, a family in which all members are related plus one additional person; or, a family is exclusively two unrelated adults and their dependants plus one additional person."
After it was established two years ago, U + 2 has been met with controversy from some in the student population and many have argued that the ordinance is anti-student, limiting student's housing options.
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