Single-stair reform has come to Colorado — or it’s on its way, by Dec. 1, 2027.
That’s when Colorado cities of at least 100,000 residents will have to adjust their housing codes to allow for up to five-story apartment buildings with just one stairwell exit, under legislation signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Jared Polis.
“It’s simply 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 community should look like here in our state,” Rep. Andy Boesenecker, a Fort Collins Democrat, said during a bill signing ceremony in Denver. He stood outside a three-story, single-stair development near East Colfax Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
Boesenecker and three other Democratic lawmakers sponsored House Bill 1273, which advances single-stair reform 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 development.
Boesenecker also argued that building a second stairwell not only chews up space that could be used for apartments, it also adds between 6% and 13% to the total cost of the development.
Though single-stair buildings are common in Europe, the reforms have gained momentum in the United States only in recent 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 reform or instituted some version of them, according to Architects Newspaper.
Colorado lawmakers initially proposed a similar reform 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 this year’s bill.
Those included mandated sprinkler systems and smoke detectors and a maximum of 20 feet separating an apartment door from an exit stairwell, among others. The implementation and impact of the law will be studied, with the results reported back to the legislature in 2032 — more than four years after the policy kicks into effect.
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