Gov. Jared Polis signs law that will bring more single-stair apartment buildings to Denver

Single-stair restructuring has come to Colorado or it s on its way by Dec That s when Colorado cities of at least residents will have to adjust their housing codes to allow for up to five-story apartment buildings with just one stairwell exit under regulation signed into law Tuesday by Gov Jared Polis It s exclusively by design smart design that we are necessarily creating more affordable housing options for Coloradans in a way that is safe and meets our expectations for what public should look like here in our state Rep Andy Boesenecker a Fort Collins Democrat declared during a bill signing ceremony in Denver He stood outside a three-story single-stair enhancement near East Colfax Avenue and Colorado Boulevard Boesenecker and three other Democratic lawmakers sponsored House Bill which advances single-stair adjustment statewide Current law allows for up to three stories for single-stair buildings with a second stairwell required for taller buildings Proponents argue that allowing for larger developments with a single stairwell will spur the building of more housing units And more uniquely designed properties freed from double-barreled stairwells will open up small urban lots for infill improvement Boesenecker also argued that building a second stairwell not only chews up space that could be used for apartments it also adds between and to the total cost of the evolution Though single-stair buildings are common in Europe the reforms have gained momentum in the United States only in contemporary years after Seattle New York City and Honolulu introduced them Twenty-one cities states and provinces across North America have authorized studies into single-stair revision or instituted various version of them according to Architects Newspaper Related Articles Lyft driver faces charges in sexual assault of Colorado lawmaker New Colorado law seeks to boost condo growth by reforming construction defects rules again Colorado adds voting protections to law reforms vacancy elections under bills signed by Gov Jared Polis Thank God it s over and more from the Colorado legislature this week Four big dynamics drove Colorado lawmakers session from defending against Trump to boosting affordability Colorado lawmakers here initially proposed a similar revision last year though it died amid opposition from fire chiefs leery about the inherent risks of providing only one exit But Boesenecker and his fellow sponsors Democratic Sens Nick Hinrichsen and Matt Ball and Rep Steven Woodrow included a number of safety requirements in the bill Those include mandated sprinkler systems and smoke detectors and a maximum of feet separating an apartment door and an exit stairwell among others The implementation and impact of the bill will also be studied with the results published back to the legislature in more than four years after the approach kicks into effect Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter The Spot