By Stephanie Guzman, Reporter for Albuquerque Business First:

After two years of public hearings and various proposals, the 'casitas ordinance' is dead.

Casitas, also known as granny flats or guest houses, are built as secondary dwelling units behind existing homes. The proposed ordinance, introduced by CouncilorIsaac Benton, outlined several rules around building casitas in Albuquerque including design standards, square footage, height and setbacks. It also stipulated property owners must live in the main house or casita on the property.

The majority of the nine-member Albuquerque City Council voted against the ordinance during its Monday meeting, with councilors saying they were concerned about how the city would enforce rules around casitas and how casitas would impact neighborhoods.

The ordinance would've made casitas a conditional use, which means before building one, a property owner would need to file permits with the city and neighbors would have a chance to oppose the application.

Some council members also expressed uneasiness around property owners who would built casitas just to rent out.

"I'm disturbed by the anti-renter mentality," Benton said, adding not just millennials rent, but so do retirees, seniors and people who don't want to live in a home.

The ordinance would've only allowed casitas to be built on certain properties, mainly townhome and large-lot properties. However, neighborhood associations that represent single-family communities were the biggest proponent of the ordinance. About 70 percent of the city is zoned R-1, which refers to single-family houses.

Several people representing neighborhood associations said homeowners were against casitas, in part because they bought property with the understanding of how their neighborhoods would look and function, and the ordinance would change that.

Councilor Klarissa Peña supported casitas because she said it would allow people taking care of aging parents or children with disabilities to build additional housing on their property.

Andrew Gingerich, a data analyst with the Mid-Region Council of Governments of New Mexico, said the organization supported casitas because it would create density in the city that supports public transit. Click here to read the full article.