Woodland Park board tells homeowner to address insulation, electrical and safety issues before approving garage heater variance

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. — The Woodland Park Board of Review discussed a variance request May 2025 from homeowner Dennis Blevins to omit parts of the energy code and install a natural-gas heater in his attached garage, but the board took no formal vote and asked the applicants to return with a plan addressing insulation, combustion air and electrical safety.

The request sought relief from requirements in the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code as adopted by the regional building code and specific Pikes Peak Regional Building Department provisions so the Blevinses could add a natural-gas unit heater without performing the code’s heat-loss calculations or adding the full required insulation.

The request matters because the state-adopted energy code requires that when an unconditioned space is converted to conditioned space, the building must have a thermal envelope (insulated walls and ceiling) and appropriate clearances around fuel-burning equipment, officials said.

Homeowner Dennis Blevins described the project as a modest comfort upgrade: “We just wanted to heat the garage is all we wanted to do.” He said the family uses the garage for vehicle parking and occasional storage…