This post follows up two earlier posts about a citizen initiative to limit residential growth in Lakewood, Colorado. Details about the proposal can be found here.
On Monday night, the Lakewood City Council voted 10‑0 to call a special municipal election for July 2 to allow voters to decide whether to impose a
With the 72nd General Assembly in full swing at the state capitol, we’ve selected ten bills (out of 261 proposed, as of January 27) that may be of interest to property owners and real estate developers. They run the gamut from landlord-tenant law to campaign finance, special districts, and reform to the state’s conservation easement program.
Continue Reading 2019 Colorado Legislative Update
Denver’s ban on source-of-income discrimination took effect on January 1, 2019.
The ordinance, which the Denver City Council approved back in August, prohibits a wide range of conduct in real estate transactions “based upon … source of income.” Protected sources of income under the ordinance include government housing assistance, Social Security payments, veterans’ benefits, student loans, legal settlements, and court-ordered child support and alimony payments. The income source must be both “lawful” and “verifiable” to be eligible for protection. The new law applies to landlords, real estate agents, property managers, and mortgage lenders. Property owners who rent a single unit are specifically exempt.
Continue Reading Denver Bans Source-of-Income Discrimination in Real Estate Transactions Beginning January 1
Denver released a public draft of a new Blueprint Denver on August 6. This marks the first wholesale revision to the citywide land use and transportation plan since the city adopted the first Blueprint Denver in 2002. The new Blueprint contains a serious (and for some, a welcome) departure from the first version of the plan, which has shaped the development of the city through tremendous growth over the last sixteen years.
A bit of background and context. Cities adopt long‑term plans that are supposed to guide subsequent decisions about land use policy and individual development applications. For example, a plan may say that the community values its open space. When the city receives an application to develop open space, the decision makers, be they the planning department, zoning commission, or city council, are supposed to consider the plan’s statement about open space in evaluating the development application.
Continue Reading Blueprint Denver 2.0: R.I.P. Areas of Stability
The Colorado Court of Appeals recently upheld a land exchange between the City of Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor Hotel. The court’s decision in Save Cheyenne v. City of Colorado Springs affirms the broad power of home‑rule municipalities to “purchase, receive, hold and enjoy or sell and dispose of” property according to the dictates of their charters and ordinances.
Continue Reading Save Cheyenne v. City of Colorado Springs: What, if anything, has changed about the power of home rule municipalities in Colorado to alienate public park land?