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Planning commission moves to align county land‑use code with Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code
Summary
Commissioners recommended amendments to section 5‑46 to reference the statewide Wildfire Resiliency Code, require wildfire mitigation plans for PUDs/SUPs/subdivisions, encourage burying utilities in new subdivisions, and add review criteria to improve safety in the wildland‑urban interface.
Staff presented amendments to San Miguel County’s land‑use code to align local standards with the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (adopted by the county and required by SB23‑166). The proposed edits replace locally duplicated building‑material standards with references to the state code, harmonize terminology (wildland‑urban interface/WUI), and add land‑use review expectations for larger applications.
Key elements in the draft include: referencing the Wildfire Resiliency Code for building materials and construction standards for permits; requiring wildfire mitigation plans and vegetation management plans for subdivisions, PUDs and SUPs; encouraging undergrounding of power, phone and other distribution lines for new subdivisions; and including road design and evacuation access in subdivision review standards. Staff emphasized that the state code applies to building permits and that these land‑use amendments are focused on subdivision and discretionary review where the county can require broader planning‑level mitigation.
Commissioners asked about implementation capacity and whether the requirements are retroactive. Staff said referrals to local fire districts, the county emergency manager and West Region Wildfire Council are part of the review and that the new building standards apply to permits made complete after the state implementation date; subdivision and SUP requirements would apply to new applications going forward but would not force retroactive undergrounding of existing service drops on occupied lots.
The commission moved and seconded a recommendation to the BOCC; the motion passed. Commissioners and attendees expressed support for burying distribution lines in new developments and for continued coordination with the region’s wildfire council.
What happens next: Staff will forward the recommended code language to the BOCC for hearing and final action; applicants for planned subdivisions and discretionary permits will be asked to submit wildfire mitigation and vegetation management plans as part of future filings.
