COLORADO SPRINGS — Several Colorado Springs City Council members are pushing back against Governor Jared Polis' efforts to enforce state housing laws, claiming his actions are government overreach.
Gov. Polis signed an executive order on May 16 that threatens to pull funding from cities that don't comply with recently passed housing laws. The executive order lists seven laws, including statutes that prohibit residential occupancy limits, allow accessory dwelling units, remove minimum parking requirements, and require denser housing near transit lines.
However, the majority of the Colorado Springs City Council is pushing back. During a meeting on Tuesday, the council voted 7-2 to pass a resolution strongly opposing the executive order and reaffirming the city's home rule authority. The resolution says the Colorado Constitution gives home rule municipalities exclusive authority over local land use, zoning, building standards, and public health and safety.
"We do believe that there is overreach on the part of the state to not only put forward these one-size-fits-all laws, but the fact that the governor then felt the need to underscore that with an executive order," said Councilmember Brian Risley. "I think very clearly we as a council believe that that is definite overreach."
Risley said the city has recently passed tailored ordinances to address specific housing needs across the city, including prohibiting ADUs in areas with a higher risk of wildfire. He said he is also concerned that the recently passed state law requiring denser housing near transit lines could impact historic neighborhoods, like the Old North End, which is lined with bus stops.
"Under the state laws, we would have to increase the density and look at different multi-family housing configurations in a historic neighborhood," said Risley.
Dianne Bridges, the Chair of the Historic Neighborhoods Partnership of Colorado Springs, said the governor's executive order is a blanket solution that does not take into consideration the unique needs and diverse characteristics of neighborhoods.
"How you do it is of concern and the local leaders, the neighborhood leaders, the city administration and even developers, collectively, we know best how to do it, not the state of Colorado," said Bridges.
A spokesperson for the Governor's Office sent News5 a statement regarding the city council's stance against the executive order:
“We want to work with Colorado Springs to meet the moment and do what’s right by Coloradans, which is build more housing to reduce housing costs. Coloradans are demanding action from our leaders to bring down housing costs. Our state has a housing shortage, and Governor Polis and the General Assembly have passed common-sense laws that break down barriers to housing. The Governor is proud of this work, appreciates the partnership and collaboration with so many local governments, and looks forward to seeing its positive impact in communities across the state.”
Two Colorado Springs City Councilmembers, Nancy Henjum and Kimberly Gold, voted against the resolution on Wednesday after bringing up concerns about a potential loss of state funding. Councilmember Risley said if any funding is lost, it would be a drop in the bucket compared to the city's overall budget and would not affect critical government functions or public safety.
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