On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, the Aspen City Council (the “Council”) voted to extend its residential moratorium on (i) any new land-use applications for development approval and (ii) certain building permits for residential uses. The original Ordinance #27 was enacted on December 8, 2021 and was originally set to expire on June 8, 2022, but instead will now continue until Aug. 8, 2022 (pending final approval during a special meeting scheduled for May 3, 2022). As was reported in our February 2022 Otten Johnson Alert, the Council originally cited increasing real estate prices and environmental concerns among their motivations for the moratorium.

 

As a follow up to my December 2021 blog post about the future of 3D printed homes, The Washington Post recently wrote a great article about a newly constructed 3D printed house in Williamsburg, Virginia built by a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and Alquist. The home benefited a family through one of Habitat for Humanity’s programs.

What I love most about this article are the photos, which show the 3D printer in action and the interior of the home. The interior of the home was built using “classic” construction methods and products, and is a great example of how we can combine current 3D printing technology with “classic” building methods to build a more affordable house in a shorter period of time.

3D printers are already being used across industries to produce a number of products. A quick Google search provides an astonishing number of uses.  One industry to keep an eye on is the housing industry and the use of 3D printers to build houses on-site. Continue Reading 3D Printed Houses: The Potential for Positive Change in the Housing Industry

Short-term home rentals (“STRs”) are big business in the Colorado front range, both in places where they are currently allowed and those where they are not. In many cities, people are renting their residences on apps like VRBO and Airbnb, even when prohibited by the zoning code. One such city, Lakewood, Colorado, is attempting to deal with this issue head on by adopting ordinances to directly regulate STRs. However, Lakewood’s proposed ordinances have a stricter bite than the regulatory schemes of other cities in the area such as Denver. Continue Reading Short-Term Rentals on the Horizon for Lakewood

Restrictions on the ability of homeowners’ associations to enforce covenants deemed contrary to public policy have long been the norm in states across the country, including Colorado, which could soon see an expansion of such restrictions.

Colorado’s Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA) contains various statutory restrictions on the ability of a homeowners’ association to enforce rules and covenants deemed contrary to public policy.  For example, notwithstanding any provision in an association’s declaration, bylaws or rules and regulations to the contrary, an HOA is barred from enforcing prohibitions on xeriscaping, display of the American flag, and the display of political signs during election cycles. Continue Reading Colorado House Passes Bill that would Limit the Ability of HOAs to Regulate the Display of Residents’ Flags and Political Signs