Since 1921 - Jefferson County, Colorado

UPDATE - February 18

We have had very productive conversations with Jeffco Planning & Zoning on changes to the June draft of Comprehensive Plan. Here's the latest.

  • P&Z staff has requested that the Colorado Department of Local Affairs exempt the Wide Acres neighborhood (along with Applewood and the Golden Road corridor) from the high-density housing requirements under HB1313. The law allows DOLA to grant exemptions for properties that meet certain criteria, including unincorporated areas that are not enclaves and other "health and safety, topography, or practical limitations." Staff met with DOLA in December, in part to discuss the requests. Staff told us DOLA understands the difficulty of adding density in unincorporated areas and is generally supportive of requests to exempt properties that meet the criteria. It’s possible it may exempt unincorporated areas simply because they are not enclaves. (An enclave is an area in a county that is completely surrounded by incorporated cities.) DOLA confirmed it agrees Wide Acres and Applewood (along with the Golden Road corridor) are not enclaves and can be considered for exemptions. Staff was working on submittals to DOLA that include information on other limitations that make each of these non-enclave areas even better candidates for exemptions. No word yet from DOLA.
  • A new draft of the Comprehensive Plan is expected to go to the Jeffco Planning Commission for approval as soon as April. That draft WILL NOT increase density in Wide Acres. It will maintain the status quo for the foreseeable future. )We'll post information here when the final draft is released and the PC hearing is scheduled.)
  • If DOLA approves the request to exempt all properties in Wide Acres, we expect the existing densities to remain in place.
  • If DOLA does not approve the request, there are still possible alternatives that we will explore with staff. It may be possible to move some or all of the density allocated to Wide Acres under HB1313 to more suitable locations in unincorporated Jeffco.

The deadline for complying with HB1313 is the end of 2027. That gives us lots of time to work on any issues that come up.

As we've mentioned before, the County is not the villain here. The law - HB24-1313 - pushed through by the governor in 2024 requires local governments to add high-density housing along bus routes and near light-rail stations. County staff is working with us to limit the impacts of the law.

Links to Information

State Law HB24-1313

In 2024, Governor Polis proposed and signed a bill – HB24-1313 – that MANDATES cities and counties allow Denver-type, high-density housing throughout the metro area. It designates “transit corridors,” which include all properties within a quarter mile of a high-frequency bus route and half mile from a rail station. And that’s where super high-density developments, from 15 to 40+ dwelling units per acre, mostly go. The bill does not care what currently exists along those routes, including a 100-year-old neighborhood like ours.


To submit comments or questions, or to be added to our email list for updates, email us at protectwideacres@outlook.com