The Ouray Planning Commission last week denied a variance request from a Florida couple seeking to build a house and an accessory dwelling unit, which would exceed the city’s maximum site coverage by 3.7%.

The lot on the corner of Fifth Street and Eighth Avenue, which is 7,100 square feet, is currently vacant. Carina and Frederick Matthews, who live in Key Largo, bought the property for $200,000 last October, according to county records.

They proposed building a primary residence with a 1,944-sq...