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Rangely council votes to oppose Colorado Wildfire Resiliency (WUI) code
Summary
After a staff presentation, the Rangely council voted to oppose the state'mandated Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) / Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, citing concerns about mapped hazard areas, construction costs and potential insurance impacts.
The Rangely Town Council voted to formally oppose the state'level Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) / Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code after a presentation from the town'building official and a period of discussion.
Matt Franks, the town'appointed building official, told the council the law was signed May 12, 2023, finalized July 1, 2025, and requires local jurisdictions to adopt the code by April 1, 2026, with enforcement beginning July 1, 2026. Franks said the code focuses on new construction and major remodels, includes a 500'square'foot threshold for existing structures and has material and defensible'space requirements that vary by hazard class.
Council members pressed Franks on how the state map classifies local properties and on the potential cost impacts for local builders. Franks said he had run the state map and that "75 to 80% of the town of Rangeling falls within the class 2, which is hard to believe." A council member warned that the mapping could be driving insurance actions: Franks said insurers may be using the map rather than conducting site visits, which he called a concern.
Other councilors raised broader objections to adopting the code, calling it an overreach and noting uncertain enforcement and unclear penalties. One councilor described the requirement as "a gross overstepping from the state" and said it could make building in Rangely more difficult and costly. After discussion, a motion to oppose the code was made, seconded and carried by voice vote.
The council's formal opposition does not in itself change the state's mandate but registers the town's position and preserves its ability to petition the state map and pursue local exemptions or clarifications. The building official said jurisdictions can petition the map and that, to date, he had not seen petitions rejected. The town will now determine next steps for any petition process and monitor enforcement guidance and insurance market responses.
Provenance: topic introduced at SEG 541; discussion and vote continued through SEG 912.
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