Gov. Polis signs bill eliminating parking minimums for some developments

DENVER (KDVR) — Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law that proponents say will spur more housing across the state through the elimination of parking mandates.

Until now, all new housing in Colorado, including multi-family developments, had minimum parking requirements. According to supporters of the mandate’s elimination, parking minimums increase home prices and rent by requiring developers to accommodate cars. But, proponents say, these parking spaces may not be fully utilized and could instead be dedicated to more housing units.

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“The financial burden that comes with parking minimum requirements gets passed onto hardworking Coloradans through higher housing costs,” Rep. Steven Woodrow, a Democrat who represents Denver, said in a release. “Each parking space can add tens of thousands of dollars and reduce the number of units that we can build—restricting supply and driving up costs. This law, coupled with the other housing legislation that Colorado Democrats passed this year, will help alleviate our affordability crisis.”

The new law prohibits municipalities and counties from enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements for most multifamily residential properties within a metropolitan planning organization within a quarter mile of a transit stop or station.

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“Parking spots cost tens of thousands of dollars each to build – an unacceptable amount at a time when too many Coloradans are struggling to find housing they can afford,” Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, a Democrat representing Pueblo, said in a release. “We must do more to encourage the construction of new housing in our state, including for Pueblo which has a large amount of land devoted to parking that could be redeveloped as housing and businesses.”

Sen. Kevin Priola, a Democrat representing Henderson, said in a release that developers can still choose to include parking, but eliminating the minimum requirement will allow for more housing availability and lower prices.

Rep. Stephanie Vigil, a Democrat representing Colorado Springs, concurred.

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“These mandates, which are being challenged all over the country, have created an abundance of asphalt, a shortage of housing and transportation choices, and higher greenhouse gas emissions,” Vigil said in a release. “We have quite literally paved paradise to put up a parking lot. Our new law scales back this onerous regulation, allowing builders to right size parking supply based on the context and unique characteristics of every project.”

Local governments can still impose a parking minimum of up to one space per unit on proposed housing with over 20 units, or new developments that include any units classified as affordable housing. To impose the mandate, they must show that the parking minimum is required to avoid a substantial negative impact.

The new law does not allow lower protections for people with disabilities and does not prevent a local government from enacting or enforcing a maximum parking requirement or requiring a number of spaces for temporary loading purposes. Additionally, the Colorado Department of Transportation and other agencies to provide technical assistance on best practices for optimal parking management by the end of 2024.

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According to a study conducted by the Regional Transportation District in 2020, each new structured parking space in Denver costs $25,000. The law’s supporters also noted that an “oversupply of parking” is “directly linked to higher vehicle miles traveled,” and said the transportation sector is Colorado’s biggest greenhouse gas polluter.

According to the Pollution Reduction Roadmap released by the state in 2021, cars contributed nearly 60% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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