First vote on changes to carport ordinance fails Tuesday at Colorado Springs City Council meeting

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- An issue that has been a controversy for nearly a year remains unresolved, at least for now.

Tuesday evening, members took their first official vote on amending the current ordinance regulating carports.

The motion -- which came at around 5 p.m. -- for making changes to the ordinance failed, 4-4, with Councilman Richard Skorman excused because of a personal matter.

"The matter now goes back to a council work session next month," said Councilman Wayne Williams. "There were concerns raised by a number of individuals from other neighborhoods."

One new organization, the Historic Neighborhoods Partnership, asked for more restrictions than those covered in the amended ordinance.

The HNP said that instead of a city-wide ordinance, the current carport ordinance should allow the structures to exist only in neighborhoods where most residents want them -- provided they don't negatively impact the historical or surrounding look of a neighborhood.

Also suggested by the HNP: Limiting the size and appearance of carports, requiring a building permit to erect them and regulate what can be stored under them.

"Some on the council felt that wasn't necessary," Williams said. "And how do you determine what a certain look is? It's given us more to think about."

Carports became a controversy last year after more than 80 homeowners were cited for violating the ordinance, which states how far a carport can be located from a city street, sidewalk or city right-of-way; 25 of those owners have since removed their structures.

Several of the cited homeowners filed appeals to the council and the Planning Commission, and in January the council granted a six-month moratorium on citations and new carport installations; that moratorium was extended earlier this month.

Earlier this summer, the commission approved an amended version of the ordinance that may allow cited homeowners to be in compliance and the council must now give final approval.

The council still hopes to make a final decision before the moratorium expires at the end of September.

In other business, the council passed a resolution honoring veterans of the 1950-1953 Korean War, often described as "The Forgotten War."

Several Korean War veterans attended the ceremony.

Also honored Tuesday was Jack Glavan, who retired last week as manager of the Pikes Peak Highway. Glavan worked on America's Mountain for 26 years, serving as manager for the last 13.

During Glavan's tenure, the entire highway was paved and a new welcome center was built on the summit.

"Once that project was finished last month, I thought it was the right time to retire," he said.