By John Finefrock
Staff Writer
Archuleta County’s program to legalize certain improperly divided lots is scheduled to end on May 31.
“Do you have property in Archuleta County less than 35 acres in size, located outside of a recorded Subdivision? If so, you should check to make sure it is a Legal Lot,” the county’s website states.
A resolution approved last year by the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners extended the deadline for submitting applications for designation of legal lot status until May 31.
“Out of the roughly 500 identified properties that would need to be considered, we received 175 applications. That’s a pretty good response from the public,” Archuleta County Development Services Director Brad Callender told the commissioners.
All three Archuleta County Commissioners expressed they wanted to let the resolution expire, instead of extending it, at their work session on Tuesday morning.
Callender noted at the work session that after May 31, residents will need to petition a court to get the same process completed.
According to the county’s website, the improperly divided parcel (IDP) program provides a onetime process to legalize by exemption certain IDPs which have not been previously reviewed and approved.
The website notes that “This under 35-acre exemption is available for parcels recorded with the Archuleta County Clerk & Recorder’s Office between 9/1/1972 and 5/23/2006.”
“We’ve done everything we can do,” said Commissioner Steve Wadley at the work session. “We extended it, we sent out notices, it’s been in the paper. We’ve done everything we can do. So what’s gonna happen in a year or two down the road is gonna be, ‘Well I didn’t know anything about this.’ Well, I can’t help ya at some point.”
“We just need to let it go. We’ve done everything that we can and people need to be paying attention to that stuff,” Commissioner Alvin Schaaf said. “Just let it expire would be my suggestion.”
Archuleta County Administrator Scott Wall explained in a Wednesday phone call that, pending a public outcry, he believes the commissioners will let the program expire at the end of the month.
More information about IDPs can be found at http://www.archuletacounty.org/594/Improperly-Divided-Parcels.
