ATTACHMENT B - Summary of Ordinances

Attachment B – Summary of Prior Ordinances Adopted by City Council on State Bills

2022-2025 State Efforts and City of Boulder Code Changes Below are several state bills related to local land use that have been passed in the last four years. Most intend to remove asserted zoning and land use barriers to new housing units and mitigate increasing housing costs. To align with these state bills, Boulder has adopted nearly 10 ordinances in the last three years to comply with state legislation. Each of these ordinances adopted by the City Council. Residential Growth Management System (RGMS) On May 8, 2023, the Colorado Legislature adopted HB23-1255, intended to prohibit enforcement of “anti-growth” laws defined as “a land use law that explicitly limits either the growth of the population in the governmental entity’s jurisdiction or the number of development permits or building permit applications for residential development or the residential component of any mixed use development submit to, reviewed by, approved by, or issued by a government entity for any calendar or fiscal year.” To comply with this legislation, City Council adopted Ordinance 8600, which removed Boulder’s Residential Growth Management System, which previously limited the number of building permits for residential units per year with exceptions. Accessory Dwelling Units In 2024, the Colorado legislature passed legislation regarding accessory dwelling units (ADUs). HB24-1152 establishes certain requirements for ADUs and creates a grant program for ADU supportive jurisdictions to support development of ADUs. City Council adopted Ordinance 8650 in February 2025 to align Boulder’s accessory dwelling unit regulations with the recently adopted state legislation. Occupancy Also in 2024, the Colorado legislature adopted HB24-1007, which prohibits occupancy limits based on how many unrelated people can live together. The bill allows local governments to enact and enforce residential occupancy limits based on demonstrated health and safety standards like international building code standards, fire code regulations. In response to this legislation, City Council adopted Ordinance 8651, which repealed the city’s occupancy limits specified in the land use code. The city continues to enforce the International Property Management Code to ensure life safety occupancy limitations.

Minimum Parking Requirements The state legislature passed HB24-1304 in 2024. The bill states that local governments may not enact or enforce local laws imposing minimum parking requirements on multifamily residential development if the local government is part of a metropolitan planning organization, like the Denver Regional Council of Governments. Council adopted Ordinance 8696 in 2025, which builds upon requirements for multifamily residential development under HB24-1304 and applies the changes citywide to all land uses. Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) In 2023, SB23-166 was adopted which established a wildfire resiliency code board to adopt model codes, requiring governing bodies with jurisdiction in an area within the WUI to adopt codes that meet or exceed the model code standards. In 2025, the board adopted a state model WUI code with standards for the hardening of structures and reducing fire risk in the defensible space surrounding structures. Last year, City Council passed Ordinance 8695 to adopt the 2024 International Wildland Urban Interface Code with local amendments. Natural Medicine In 2022, Proposition 122 (Access to Psychedelic Substances) was passed by Colorado voters and focused on making natural medicine available as a tool for treating mental health issues. The act, referred to as the Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022, allows local governments to regulate the time, place, and manner of the operation of healing centers licensed under the act. In 2023, Colorado Senate Bill 23-290 amended the act to clarify and establish a regulatory framework for a regulated natural medicine program in Colorado. City Council adopted Ordinance 8665 in 2025 to meet this state legislation. Small Cell Updates Several recent Colorado house bills have been passed that relate to how small cell telecommunication facilities are regulated in the state. These bills are HB17-1193 and HB25-1056. To comply with these bills, Boulder has passed the following ordinances in 2025 and 2026, respectively: Ordinance 8694 and Ordinance 8745.