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Alamosa staff outline land-use code changes to comply with state turf law, tighten sign rules and add landscaping guidance
Summary
Development staff presented a package of land-use code updates covering landscaping standards and water-efficiency guidance, compliance steps for a new state nonfunctional-turf law with deadlines for new turf and multifamily properties, and a proposal to close a sign-code loophole that lets merchandise be used as advertising.
Deacon, a development services staff member, presented proposed changes to the Alamosa land-use code that aim to modernize landscaping standards, improve water efficiency and address gaps identified when state law changed. "The state legislature recently passed a nonfunctional turf bill. So, essentially, nonfunctional turf gotta go," Deacon said.
Deacon told council the law requires the city to prohibit new nonfunctional turf by January of the coming year, expand the prohibition to multifamily properties by Jan. 21, 2028, and to identify ways to reduce residential irrigation demand. As an example to prompt feedback, staff suggested a local threshold of about 800 square feet (roughly 10% of Alamosa's average lot) or an alternate percentage-based approach for fairness across lot sizes.
Councilors pressed staff on grandfathering, enforcement and possible penalties. Deacon said existing turf would generally be grandfathered and that the state's approach appears "more of a carrot than a stick," pointing to grant programs administered by entities such as the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
The package also includes housekeeping items: codifying the city's affordable-housing application review (which staff said would unlock eligibility for $50,000 in grant funding), adding a planning-commission 'off-ramp' for public entities, updating definitions for small-scale wind and solar arrays and closing a loophole that let large solar installations or stacked merchandise serve as advertising. Deacon said the change would explicitly state that "merchandise can't be used as a sign element."
Councilors raised environmental and equity concerns about artificial turf (higher surface temperatures and microplastics) and urged staff to draft narrowly to avoid unintended consequences — for example, ensuring for-sale vehicle window signs and small temporary retail uses are not swept up by the new rule. Staff said they will refine the ordinance language and return with more detailed options; no vote occurred at the session.
