House clears bill to allow five-story "smart stair" apartment buildings in larger Colorado cities

The House adopted House Bill 1273 (listed in the session materials as House Bill 12 73), a measure allowing some five-story multifamily residential buildings to be served by a single protected stairway in jurisdictions of 100,000 or more, subject to safety standards and other limitations.

Proponents said the change will reduce construction costs and enable more family-sized units on small infill lots, helping address Colorado's housing shortage without subsidies. Representative Woodrow and Representative Per Tim (pro co-prime) presented the bill on the floor, citing testimony from builders, architects and fire-safety consultants and noting jurisdictional limits (the bill applies only to municipalities of 100,000 or greater population). Supporters said the design flexibility can increase the supply of multi-bedroom units and lower per-unit costs by reducing the need for dual stair footprints.

Speakers emphasized that safety amendments adopted in committee were intended to ensure equivalent or greater safety for residents and responders compared with conventional two-stair designs. Representative Braun, citing consultant testimony from a former Seattle fire chief, said Seattle's existing single-stair allowance had not resulted in higher fire injury or fatality rates.

Opponents were limited on the floor; the bill passed on a voice vote in the committee and by voice in the full House as read on the floor. The bill passed the House and moves forward in the legislative calendar.

Supporters said the bill targets dense urban jurisdictions and includes tested safety conditions to address firefighter access, compartmentation, sprinklers and other protections. The bill's sponsors and witnesses emphasized the goal of creating more affordable long-term housing by enabling more efficient building footprints on small lots near transit.