Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Policy Adus topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission backs code changes to speed affordable‑housing reviews and align ADU setbacks with state law
Summary
The planning commission recommended approval of ordinance ZOA‑26‑2 to align accessory dwelling unit setbacks and to create an administrative expedited review for qualifying affordable‑housing projects so the city remains eligible for state funding; the motion passed 5‑0.
The Wheat Ridge Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval on Feb. 20 of proposed code amendments to Chapter 26 intended to keep the city compliant with recent state housing laws and competitive for state grant programs.
Scott Culler, senior planner, told the commission the package (Case ZOA‑26‑2) includes two primary elements: a minor setback change to treat attached ADUs the same as detached ADUs (reducing certain attached‑ADU setbacks to 5 feet in R1A, A1 and A2 zones) and a code amendment to allow qualifying affordable housing projects to be reviewed administratively under an expedited timeline (90 days) rather than at public hearings. Culler said the changes respond to a DOLA compliance review that had given Wheat Ridge a "compliance in progress" status and that making the cited edits would help the city remain eligible and competitive for state funding programs.
Culler also described the state funding context: Proposition 123 (state affordable‑housing fund) and programs administered by the Department of Local Affairs and the Colorado Energy Office factor compliance into scoring; staff cited a recent approximately $4.5 million Transit‑Oriented Communities Infrastructure (TOCI) grant that the city had received in connection with a Foothills Regional Housing project at the former Ridge Homesite. The grant, Culler and Jana Easley said, will help cover public‑infrastructure and intersection relocation costs so the affordable‑housing project remains financially feasible.
Commissioners asked whether removing some review steps would reduce the commission’s ability to weigh projects; Culler said the administrative process applies only to projects that meet qualifying affordable‑housing definitions aligned with DOLA and that rezones and other discretionary decisions would still require public hearings. Commissioners expressed broad support for the practical benefits of predictability and faster timelines for affordable housing.
Commissioner Michael Moore moved to recommend approval of the ordinance amending Chapter 26; the motion carried 5‑0. Staff said the code changes are intended to be narrowly tailored and retain public hearings where the underlying zoning or use is discretionary.
