Colorado could ban ‘slow-growth’ policies as GOP and liberals team up at the statehouse – Colorado Public Radio
I have witnessed what happens when you have zero multifamily units that are going to be built in a neighborhood that desperately needs it, she said.
The afternoon debate focused on how and whether Colorado cities should be able to limit their own growth and development. The hearing wrapped up without a vote, but Gonzales support means that the measure is poised to pass at a future meeting and potentially proceed to a full vote before the Senate.
The reality is, no matter how much money this body decides to pour into affordable housing efforts, if local governments continue to enact anti-growth initiatives and unreasonable zoning policies, we are not going to construct the additional housing units we need to make Colorado affordable again, said state Sen. Larry Liston, who co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Andres Picos. Both are Republicans from Colorado Springs.
Boulder, Golden and Lakewood are among the cities that have instituted limits on growth. Voters in those cities approved growth restrictions in 1976, 1995 and 2019, respectively. In each city, the law says that the residential housing stock can grow by only 1 percent per year.
The Republican proposal would not invalidate those existing laws. Instead, it would ban other cities from instituting any limitation on the number of zoning applications or building permits allowed each year.
The amended version of the bill garnered strong support from Republican leadership.
I agree with (Sen. Gonzales.) We have got to think outside the box. We have got to look at innovative ways to change the way we approach housing in this state, said Senate Minority Leader Chris Holbert of Douglas County, also a member of the committee.
As originally drafted, the bill would have severely limited cities ability to downzone properties. Downzoning is when a local government puts new limits on what a property owner can build. The proposal would have required cities to pay just compensation to property owners for lost value if their property is downzoned, similar to a law in Arizona.
In reaching their compromise with Gonzales, sponsors agreed to drop that section. It was also a major focus of the opposition at the hearing, who argued that the just compensation measure would have hobbled city governments and shifted power to private property owners, rather than city leaders. (Republicans like Holbert said they liked that part.)
We believe that municipalities and their elected officials need to be able to make those determinations, at that level, with public input, with developer input, with the input of all constituents, said Meghan Dollar, a lobbyist for the Colorado Municipal League.
After the meeting, Dollar said that CML would poll its members about their opinions on the amended version of the bill, which focuses only on growth limits.
I think its really important to get feedback from municipal officials on this one. I will say that generally, CML opposes anything that takes land-use regulation out of the local level, Dollar said.
More than a half-dozen liberal land-use reformers also known as YIMBYs, for Yes In My Backyard spoke on the proposal. They werent particularly interested in the state-vs-local debate over property rights. Instead, they, they echoed the Republican argument that the state needs to rev up its housing industry in order to meet demand.
Weve had decades to see exactly what these (slow-growth) policies have done to limit housing, said Dmitrii Zavorotny, treasurer of YIMBY Denver. The Boulder growth-limiting law directly blocked his parents chance to build a home there, he said. He argues the policy has led to sprawl and pollution as people are forced to move to outlying communities instead of Boulder.
Colorados modern growth debate began in large part in the 1960s and 1970s, and Boulder was at the forefront. In 1976, Boulder voters made it the first community in the Rocky Mountain West to put a limit on its growth, as the High Country News reported.
Then-councilman Paul Danish, who led the effort, argued that uncontrolled growth cant be tolerated in Boulder because it would break the urban infrastructure and destroy all the desirable qualities of the towns environment.
His opponents, including local real-estate brokers, argued that the move would turn Boulder into an exclusionary community open only to well-to-do residents.
Boulders single-family home prices today are the highest on the Front Range, with the median house going for about $785,000.
Since then, the slow- or anti-growth movement has resurfaced several times. In 1995, Boulder tightened its residential growth limit from 2 percent to 1 percent per year, and Golden passed a similar cap. In 2019, Lakewood voters approved their own slow-growth law. Advocates also tried but failed to create a growth limit across the Front Range in 2019 and 2020.
During the pandemic, housing prices in Colorado have hit new highs, and leaders of both parties have made the shortage of new developments a central message. The pro-growth bill is part of Republicans Commitment to Colorado a package of bills focused largely on the cost of living.
State lawmakers are set to spend $400 million of federal money on a groundbreaking affordable-housing package. And in recent years, Democrats led an effort to create incentives for cities that allow greater density and embrace affordable housing.
The current pro-growth measure also breaks new ground: Its text declares that housing has become a statewide concern. That kind of language could contribute to a greater argument for intervention by state lawmakers in policies that, until now, have been decided at the local level.
Among other changes, Gonzales suggested that the legislature could create a permanent committee to address housing issues another sign of their growing importance to policymakers from both parties.
Read the rest here:
Colorado could ban 'slow-growth' policies as GOP and liberals team up at the statehouse - Colorado Public Radio
- Where are the Liberals When Iran Mass-Deports Millions of Afghans? - The European Conservative - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- The Supreme Courts Liberals Have an Impossible Task. One of Them Is Charting the Way. - Slate Magazine - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion: The Liberals launch another expenditure review: This time, we mean it - The Globe and Mail - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Liberals could find out soon whether their rushed projects bill will spark another Idle No More - National Post - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Wealthy White Liberals Reportedly Urge Democrats To Be Willing To Get Shot Opposing Trump - dailycaller.com - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Albertas PCs Might Rise from the Dead. Not the BC Liberals - The Tyee - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Cryo-liberals are still dishing up deranged delusions - The Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Wealthy White Liberals Reportedly Urge Democrats To Be Willing To Get Shot Opposing Trump - AOL.com - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Liberals, Conservatives, And Independents Form Initiative To Fight For Democracy And Freedom - thedailypoliticususa.com - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- How the Liberals are eroding workers Charter-protected rights - Canadian Dimension - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Liberals dont want Muslim women to demand rights in the Hindutva era. Theres no right time - ThePrint - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- New polls show the Liberals opening large lead over the Conservatives - iPolitics - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Another Saturday Night - Liberals Are Patriotic! updated with how to help the central Texas flooding - Daily Kos - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Vancouver has a new civic party the Vancouver Liberals - Business in Vancouver - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Liberals Lose Trust on Health After 11 Years - Mirage News - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Newsom warms to building, but will California liberals allow it? - Washington Examiner - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Liberals Are Declaring That The Fourth Of July Is Canceled This Year And Even Threatening To Sue People Who Celebrate For Emotional Damage - Whiskey... - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Peter Menzies: Justin Trudeaus legislative legacy is still haunting the Liberals - The Hub | More Signal. Less Noise. - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Opinion | Memo to liberals: Diversity can be conservative - The Washington Post - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Liberals Are Going to Keep Losing at the Supreme Court - The Atlantic - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Hollywood Liberals Slammed as 'Disgusting' for Bleating They Weren't Invited to Jeff Bezos 'Vulgar' Wedding - RadarOnline - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Forget female quotas, its mediocrity thats killing the Liberals - The Australian - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Fatal flaw of liberals is belief that being right is enough | Opinion - The News-Press - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Liberals want Americans to depend on government - Washington Times - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- If old school white-anting Sussan Ley on gender quotas works, the Liberals may pay a heavy political price - The Guardian - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- HUNTER: Have Liberals had their come-to-Jesus moment on crime? - Toronto Sun - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Random Musing: Why some Indian liberals are celebrating Zohran Mamdani and think he is the new Obama - Times of India - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Liberals In California Are Banning Books Again - The Daily Wire - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- 'Liberals need to reconnect with people's deep feelings of being disrespected,' sociologist says - Perspective - France 24 - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Threat of Trump should drive liberals from the middle ground | Opinion - The Portland Press Herald - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- If the Liberals want to appeal again to aspirational Australians, they could start by taxing wealth | Judith Brett - The Guardian - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- The Weekly Wrap: The Liberals must abandon their internet regulation agenda - The Hub | More Signal. Less Noise. - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Data breach may have exposed 200,000 home-care patients' information, say Ontario Liberals - Yahoo - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- M. imeka criticized the Slovak government after the summit of liberals in Brussels for not diversifying gas supplies - European Newsroom - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- ANALYSIS: David Petersons Liberals are remembering the good times. Ontarians should, too - TVO Today - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Carney Liberals urged to ditch DST as Trump terminates trade talks with Canada - Toronto Sun - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Martin Regg Cohn: History reminds Ontarios languishing Liberals that they need to make their own luck - Toronto Star - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Arab Journalists and Liberals Praise U.S. Strike On Iran: The Iranian Threat Is Over; Trump Saved Humanity; God Bless America - MEMRI | Middle East... - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Conservatives report better mental health than liberals. I think I know why. | Opinion - USA Today - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Federal Liberals reintroduce cybersecurity bill meant to protect critical infrastructure - The Globe and Mail - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Threat of Trump should drive liberals from the middle ground | Opinion - Lewiston Sun Journal - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Opinion: The Tory future may lie with the Liberals - Winnipeg Free Press - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- FIRST READING: All the hidden extras buried in the Liberals fast-tracked omnibus bills - National Post - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Battin wants to reset and to rally Liberals behind taxes, housing and crime - Neos Kosmos - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Chaos over withdrawal of EU law against greenwashing. Last trialogue skips, anger of socialists and liberals - Eunews - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Libman: Quebec Liberals gamble on Rodriguez. Will voters? - Montreal Gazette - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Hunger strikes! Tears! Arrest! Its been a week of ridiculous performances as NYC liberals chase folk-hero status - New York Post - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- The Trump Peace Prize? Matt Gaetz suggests renaming honor they only give to liberals - AL.com - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Victorias Liberals saved John Pesutto from bankruptcy. But can they save themselves from all-out war? - The Guardian - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Q+A | Outgoing Yukon premier highlights renewed energy in Yukon Liberals with new leader - Yahoo - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Trump Complains He Should Have Won FIVE Nobel Prizes By Now But They Only Give Them To Liberals - Mediaite - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Putins biggest threat is not from liberals but the nationalist Right - The Telegraph - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Obama swipes at affluent liberals during rare public remarks, says 'all of us are going to be tested' - Fox News - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Swedens Liberals bet to revive a sinking party - Euractiv - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- They Hate Our Country The Right-Wings Accusation Towards Liberals - Daily Kos - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- BREAKING: Yukon Liberals select Mike Pemberton as their new leader and the territory's next premier - Yukon News - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Andr Pratte: Pablo Rodriguez has won over the Quebec Liberals. That was the easy part - National Post - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Why liberals ignored the grooming gang scandal - The Spectator - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Liberals to pass major projects bill this week with Conservative support - National Post - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Liberals Pushing Through Law That Expands Governments Power - The Tyee - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Liberals major projects bill on track to pass before House rises for summer - iPolitics - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Yukon Liberals to choose new leader tonight - 96.1 The Rush - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- MAGA World and liberals have turned on Musk as Trump divorce turns friends to foe - The Independent - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- The Occupation Is Destroying Israel From Within, and Liberals Can't Ignore It Anymore - Haaretz - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- 15 Liberals And Conservatives Are Sharing The Political Opinions They Hold That Align With The Opposite Party - Yahoo - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- How are the Liberals of Bradfield coping with their loss? | Fiona Katauskas - The Guardian - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- 15 Liberals And Conservatives Are Sharing The Political Opinions They Hold That Align With The Opposite Party - BuzzFeed - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Liberals and Conservatives in Canada split on Mark Carney and the country's direction after the election - YouGov - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Moderate Liberals say the party has a choice be a far-right rump run by octogenarians or move to the centre - The Guardian - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Chris Selley: Liberals wrap much-needed refugee reform in a terrible privacy-invading package - National Post - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- 7 Things: Trump and Musk are going at it; Tuberville taunts liberals; angry mob demands MTG stay out of HSV; and more... - Yellowhammer News - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- How a little-known procedure helped the Liberals dodge their first confidence vote - National Post - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Supporters of John Pesutto question Victorian Liberals priorities over reluctance to bail out former leader - The Guardian - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Globe editorial: The Liberals get around to fixing the thing they broke - The Globe and Mail - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- As John Pesutto faces bankruptcy, the Victorian Liberals struggle to unite - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Liberals survive confidence vote, as throne speech motion passes through House - iPolitics - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Liberals introduce bill to cut trade barriers, speed up 'nation-building' infrastructure - Yahoo - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Wave of anger could sweep liberals to victory in South Korea election - Reuters - June 4th, 2025 [June 4th, 2025]
- Liberals lead debate on the future of European security in Helsinki - ALDE Party - June 4th, 2025 [June 4th, 2025]
- Milk Act to Bike Month: How Liberals are trying to slow Bill 5 with 4,000 amendments - Global News - June 4th, 2025 [June 4th, 2025]