(C) Colorado Newsline
This story was originally published by Colorado Newsline and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Growth caps preserve ‘quality of life,’ some cities say, but this Colorado bill would eliminate them [1]
['Sara Wilson', 'More From Author', '- April']
Date: 2023-04
A bill working its way through the Colorado Legislature would eliminate growth rate caps in cities like Boulder, Lakewood and Golden.
House Bill 23-1255 is part of a legislative effort to address the state’s housing shortage and encourage growth. It was introduced alongside a sweeping land use bill that would eliminate local zoning restrictions on development of “middle housing,” such as townhomes, multiplexes and accessory dwelling units.
“One element that makes it really difficult to solve this housing crisis is growth limits. Only a few localities across Colorado have these growth limits, but the effects spill over to create a regional problem wherever they exist. Communities without these limits have to accommodate people who would otherwise live in the growth-limited communities,” bill sponsor Rep. Ruby Dickson, a Greenwood Village Democrat, told lawmakers during the bill’s first committee hearing on Wednesday.
“It’s going to be a key component of fixing the housing crisis and expanding supply where we need it the most,” she said.
The bill made it through the House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee on a 9-2 vote. It is also sponsored by Rep. William Lindstedt, a Broomfield Democrat, and Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat.
If passed, it would eliminate local laws that limit the amount of residential permits or construction projects that a city approves each year. It would also prevent cities from enacting new growth caps.
There would be an exception for cities that experience a disaster, such as a wildfire. That would give cities a chance to slow down applications for new developments if they don’t have the administrative capacity to oversee that influx.
Like the land use bill, HB-1255 asserts that housing availability and affordability is a statewide concern.
Only a handful of cities in Colorado have growth caps. Boulder, Lakewood and Golden all have 1% growth limits per year. In Boulder, the limit is a way to preserve the city’s “unique environment, high quality of life and availability of public facilities and urban services,” according to a document from the city’s planning department.
“When it comes to regulations, I usually think they need to have some basis in protecting health and safety and the welfare of communities. These arbitrary caps, I don’t think they do any of that,” Lindstedt said.
The bill has support from groups including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Association of Homebuilders. Those groups say that growth caps have an adverse effect on development of affordable housing for a city’s workforce, forcing people to commute long distances.
“Growth is inevitable. It’s up to us to choose whether we want it to happen in the form of environmentally damaging sprawl, or responsible development that makes sense for our economy, climate and quality of life,” said Jenny Gaeng, the transportation campaign manager at Conservation Colorado.
The Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, Douglas County, the city of Fountain and the city of Monument are in opposition. They say that growth caps are important in protecting environmental resources, preserving community character and, in certain resort communities, preventing excessive luxury development.
“One way members protect water quality, water supply and important environmental resource is by phasing development to ensure adequate water and sewer services are available. This way, the community grows in a safe, orderly manner that protects the environment and residents already living in the community,” said Claire Carroll, the co-director of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments.
As with the land use bill, opponents argue that the bill usurps local control.
The bill now heads to the House floor, where Democrats hold a majority.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/growth-caps-preserve-quality-of-life-some-cities-say-but-this-colorado-bill-would-eliminate-them/
Published and (C) by Colorado Newsline
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/coloradonewsline/
