Dozens of unincorporated homeowners and landowners in east Greeley have learned that the way they have lived on their properties for years may violate zoning regulations and face potential fines. It is said that there is.
Many residents of the community around 20th Street and Cherry Avenue have learned that their land was not zoned farming as believed, and many are now forced to make drastic changes. They are asking the county to rezone the land before it can be rezoned.
The community first became aware of the problem in late 2023, when at least one resident began reporting the property owner to the county for violating zoning ordinances.
More than 60 violation reports were filed in Weld County in 2023, said resident Bob Walter, one of the callers. Walter said there have only been four complaints of zoning code violations in the same area in the past 20 years.
Weld County is a high complaint county. That means the county doesn't have code enforcement officers to inspect properties. Instead, you must report the property, which will then be investigated by code enforcement to determine if a citation is required.
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Walter told CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas that he learned he was violating county ordinances by living in a camper on his family's property.
“I told them, 'You're supposed to have me. What code?'” Walter said.
Walter was informed that the camper was not allowed on the property as it was zoned R1 or residential. Walter said neither he nor his family knew the land was designated as residential when they bought it, and said the entire community appears to have been an agricultural area from the beginning.
“It was pretty devastating. We were told we had two weeks to cut the power, get the roads ready and get things back up and running,” Walter said.
Walter sold his house and land in eastern Colorado to help his daughter's family buy land in eastern Greeley with the intention of living in a camper in their backyard. His camper van is not visible from the dirt road he must drive to get to the property.
“They said they were going to make me homeless. I have nowhere to go,” Walter said.
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In the weeks and months that followed, several additional community members found themselves under investigation and facing charges for code violations.
“Do an eye test. Look around, it's ag,” Walter said. “Most places have some sort of animal. There are horses, pigs, goats, mules, sheep, llamas. Almost every place has animals.”
Walter drove Thomas around the area. He pointed out how many properties look the same as the property across the street in that each property has animals and many vehicles. However, often the land on one side of a dirt road is designated for agricultural use, and the land directly across from the dirt road is designated for residential use.
Rocky Warta, who has lived in his home for nearly 10 years, reportedly had a garbage truck parked in his backyard that needed repairs.
“(I) wasn't hurting anyone, I wasn't hurting anything, and then all of a sudden (I) had to turn myself in,” Warta said.
Warta said he has kept the vehicle in his backyard for more than eight years and has been working on it. He said he had never had a problem with anyone before. Then, in late 2023, he received a tip from a local resident and learned he needed to hide his vehicle.
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Unless he was willing to pay a fine or get rid of his car, Warta had no choice but to pay for a new fence.
“I had to take out a loan on my house to pay for this, $10,000,” Warta said.
Walter said he does not fault county code enforcement officers for doing their jobs. But he said he wanted everyone to be aware of the hardship the sudden imposition of norms was causing for many residents.
“(County code enforcement officials) are basically coming out here and telling people, 'This way of life that we've been accustomed to for generations is basically over,'” Walter said. Told.
Walter gathered over 100 petition signatures and presented it to Weld County Commissioners like Kevin Ross. The petition called for the community to be rezoned and made agricultural, allowing most residents to continue living on the property.
Ross told CBS News Colorado that a very large group of concerned neighbors attended Tuesday night's special meeting. There, commissioners reminded that the recent surge in code enforcement was the result of complaints filed with the county.
“We let people live until charges are filed, and then we go investigate those charges,” Ross told CBS News Colorado.
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Ross said commissioners spent a lot of time meeting with residents, hearing both sides and presenting residents with an idea of what a potential rezoning would mean.
“As a county, we don't really care if they're agricultural zones or residential zones. We just want to make sure we have all the tools in place to help the county make the best decisions. I just want to make sure there is,” Ross said.
Ross clarified that the land in question was never zoned for agricultural use. But he said the county is open to rezoning the land if residents are willing to weigh the pros and cons and make their own decisions.
“Well, we champion agriculture here in Weld County,” Ross said. “(Problems like this) are due to the rapid growth of Weld County. Not just in Greeley, but everywhere. We're seeing these types of situations occurring more frequently.”
Ross noted that some of the complaints filed with the county have revealed several issues that need to be addressed with the property, regardless of zoning. He also noted that some residents would like the property to remain designated as residential.
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Walter said the petition, which has more than 100 signatures, shows the majority of residents want the rezoning and are willing to pay the dues necessary to make it happen.
“Rezone and leave us alone,” Walter said.
