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Littleton adopts single-stair building option for some multifamily developments
Summary
Council voted unanimously to add a single-stair option to the city’s building code for certain R-2 multifamily buildings (noncombustible construction, up to five stories, sprinklers and enhanced fire protections required), a change staff says could increase housing options and modestly lower construction costs.
The City Council unanimously approved ordinance 16-2026 on second reading, creating a code pathway that would allow certain multifamily (R‑2) buildings to use a single, protected stair under strict safety conditions.
Chief Building Official Tim Steinwinder and Community Development Director Matt Knight presented the amendment, which staff said was modeled on state legislation and reviewed with South Metro Fire Rescue. Steinwinder said the option would apply only to noncombustible building types (Type 1, 2 or 4), would cap building height at five stories, would limit each floor to a maximum of four units, and would require a sprinkler system, two-hour-rated stair enclosures, smoke control for elevator and stair enclosures, emergency escape openings on each floor and recurring inspections of life‑safety systems.
The staff report noted the single-stair option does not override other zoning or development limits such as lot coverage, parking or height restrictions. Early data cited by staff suggested eliminating a second staircase could reduce base construction cost by about 10 percent while added fire-protection measures were estimated to increase cost by roughly 3 percent, producing an estimated net construction savings of about 7 percent.
During the public hearing, several residents spoke in favor. Jose Riones said the option could enable more varied and affordable housing designs while preserving regulatory safety checks. Thomas Caldwell, citing modern fire-safety improvements, supported adoption and urged continued best practices for stair pressurization and other protections. Pam Chadbourne opposed the change on safety and accessibility grounds; she argued single-stair designs could disadvantage older residents and worried developers would prioritize profit over public amenities without concurrent changes to other codes. City staff and South Metro Fire Rescue answered questions about inspection regimes, key-box access, and recurring maintenance requirements.
Council member Stillwell thanked staff and South Metro Fire Rescue for their work. After discussion, Council member Reichardt moved to approve the ordinance on second reading; the motion carried 7–0.
The ordinance becomes part of the city’s building-code options and staff said it will require ongoing data collection about building characteristics and emergency response history. Council members and staff said they expect the option to be used selectively and that standard permitting and fire-review processes still apply.
