Colby Moves Forward with Tiny Home Zoning Ordinance to Expand Affordable Housing Options
- Kristina Hemel
- Jun 10
- 2 min read
The City of Colby is taking steps to address housing shortages and modernize its zoning regulations by making way for tiny homes. At the April and May meetings of the Colby/Thomas County Metropolitan Area Planning and Zoning Appeals Commission, City Manager Ron Alexander introduced a proposed ordinance aimed at clearly defining and regulating tiny homes in the community.
Following a Planning and Zoning 201 training session hosted by the League of Kansas Municipalities, Alexander shared with board members that Colby must tread carefully when granting or denying zoning variances. He reviewed a set of "Golden Rules" for zoning requests and variances and pointed out specific areas in Colby that need updated or clarified zoning.
One of the key topics of discussion was tiny homes — a housing concept that has recently gained momentum in communities seeking affordable and efficient living spaces. As Alexander noted, Colby currently lacks specific zoning for tiny homes, and he proposed incorporating them into existing mobile home parks.
In May, Ordinance No. 1691 was introduced, officially giving tiny homes a definition under city code. Homes between 170 and 887 square feet will now be classified as "tiny homes" — differentiating them from standard residential structures, which must exceed 888 square feet per current building codes.
To accommodate this new classification, changes were made to the R-2 MH (Mobile Home District) zoning designation. Two key updates were adopted:
Minimum mobile home spaces (5a): Revised from a minimum of 15 spaces to 4, reflecting the current layout of one of the city's smaller parks.
Lot size (5c): Minimum required square footage per home was reduced from 3,500 sq. ft. to 2,500 sq. ft., better fitting the footprint of tiny homes.
Alexander reported that both of the city’s mobile home park owners — including Mark and Christine Hickman of Friendly Acres — support the rezoning efforts and are ready to move forward. Currently, Friendly Acres has 20 vacant lots suitable for tiny homes, with potentially five more available pending trailer removals.
Extensive discussion at the meeting included input from the Planning Commission, the Mayor, Council President, and Economic Development Director. Ultimately, the board voted to recommend approval of Ordinance No. 1691 with the proposed changes to mobile home park standards.
The next major step in the process is a public hearing, which has now been set for July 10, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. The hearing will provide an opportunity for residents to voice their thoughts on the proposed rezoning of Friendly Acres to R-2 MH.
If adopted, the ordinance could mark a significant step forward in adding flexible, affordable housing options in Colby.
📆 Public Hearing: July 10, 2025
🕤 Time: 9:30 a.m.
📍 Location: Colby/Thomas County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission- City of Colby Building Council Chambers
Stay tuned to NWKSRadio.net for continued updates.
Members of the Colby Thomas County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission: Shelby Barnett, Sue Evans, Jim Malcolm, Caleb Mattix, Robert McLemore, Dick Snider, Rob Stithem, Tuffy Taylor, Pat Mallory. Next meeting at the City of Colby Council Chambers June 12, 2025 at 9:30 am.
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