After state review, Clear Creek staff urge adopting Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code; commissioners weigh local exceptions

Clear Creek County building staff recommended that the board adopt the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code after the county ttempt to adopt a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) code did not receive the state board's two-thirds approval.

David Danielson, building staff, said state reviewers found the locally proposed WUI code lacked certain required provisions (for example, 0-to-5-foot defensible-space rules and exterior-wall protections) and that the state board voted 6—or/5 gainst but did not reach the required two-thirds majority. Danielson recommended pivoting to the state code and incorporating WUI elements locally where permissible.

Commissioners asked a range of technical questions: whether sprinkler requirements could vary by domestic-water service or proximity to hydrants; how a 25% threshold for roof or siding replacement triggers upgrades; and how requirements affect manufactured homes and short-term rentals in Saint Mary's. Staff said the code applies to new construction and that some retrofit triggers (roof/siding thresholds) can impose upgrades when a specified portion of the component is disturbed. Staff also noted the county's recent improvement in its ISO community rating and said fewer local weakening amendments to sprinkler rules could further improve insurance ratings for the community.

Board members asked staff to return with clear local options before an action vote, and to provide specific text for exemptions or phased compliance in areas such as Saint Mary's where housing affordability and existing water systems are a concern.