Sen. Ball hears competing testimony on 2,000‑square‑foot lot proposal, then moves to indefinitely postpone

Sen. Ball introduced House Bill 11‑14 and told the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee he wanted to hear testimony from both supporters and opponents before pausing the proposal. "House Bill 11‑14 is a pretty straightforward bill," Ball said, summarizing the measure's goal to cap single‑family lot sizes at 2,000 square feet to lower land costs and expand for‑sale housing options.

Supporters argued the change would expand attainable homeownership. Kip Kalkmeier, a retired land‑use attorney, said, "Housing affordability is a crisis," and testified that land cost and building cost are the primary drivers of home prices. Developer and lecturer Chase Stillman said current rules incentivize demolition and larger replacements and that allowing lot splits can enable modest infill and "missing middle" home types. Scott Cox cited data he said showed a sustained housing shortage and argued a 2,000‑sq‑ft benchmark would have produced many more owner‑occupied units over time.

Municipal officials and local governments opposed the bill, warning the committee that a statewide minimum would undercut local land‑use authority and could create infrastructure and public‑safety strains. Bev Stables of the Colorado Municipal League said minimum lot sizes are tied to water and wastewater capacity, stormwater management, wildfire mitigation and school and transport planning and warned that "when the state mandates zoning changes without providing funding or infrastructure support, local governments bear the costs." Anna Bertanzetti, deputy manager for the City and County of Broomfield, told the committee a uniform 2,000‑sq‑ft standard would represent a "significant and unplanned increase in residential density" for many jurisdictions.

Committee members asked witnesses whether regulation, service capacity and neighborhood expectations had been considered. Several witnesses acknowledged legitimate local concerns but said phased implementation and planning could mitigate immediate disruption. Supporters emphasized that the bill would not override local determinations about water availability or other formal infrastructure limits.

After hearing panels on both sides and offering closing remarks that emphasized the supply‑and‑demand drivers of Colorado's housing market, Sen. Ball moved "to indefinitely postpone" House Bill 11‑14. The clerk recorded the motion and the committee adopted indefinite postponement in a recorded vote (committee described the result as unanimous). The hearing record shows the motion carried and the bill will not advance from this committee at this time.

What happens next: Sen. Ball said he expects similar proposals to return in future sessions but, for now, House Bill 11‑14 is indefinitely postponed pending further work.