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Boulder adopts 2024 WUI code; staff proposes citywide water‑wise landscaping manual, plant list
Summary
After adopting local amendments to the 2024 International Wildland‑Urban Interface code effective Aug. 1, Boulder staff proposed a citywide water‑wise landscaping manual and a dynamic plant/tree list. Staff outlined implementation challenges, staffing estimates, and how state wildfire and turf legislation affect local rules.
Boulder officials said the city recently adopted the 2024 International Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) code with local amendments and are moving to align landscaping rules citywide with water‑efficiency, wildfire resistance and new state law.
Lisa Hood, principal planner, told council the WUI ordinance and an updated WUI map were adopted in recent months and that the new WUI building rules take effect Aug. 1. “The new code actually goes into effect on August 1. So that's tomorrow,” Hood said.
What staff proposed now is a separate but related citywide Waterwise Landscaping project to update the land‑use code and move technical requirements into an adaptable landscape manual and a single Boulder plant and tree list. The manual and plant list would be adopted by city manager rule to allow regular updates instead of embedding technical lists in ordinance text.
Key elements and legal context: staff said the WUI building code focuses new requirements on a 0‑to‑5‑foot “noncombustible zone” immediately adjacent to structures, limits combustible…
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