Colorado residents in neighborhoods governed by a homeowners’ association may soon be allowed to opt for fire-hardened building materials in the construction of their homes.
A bill introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives has now been passed in both legislative chambers making it possible to use such material even if it goes against the building dictates of the homeowners’ association in question.
The legislation is significant for the simple reason that homeowners’ associations in the Centennial State, as well as other states across the country, can often dictate not just the color and landscaping of a new home, but also the materials that go into it.
That prerogative, however, has been attacked in a state that has seen an increased number of wildfires of varying proportion in recent years, including the Cameron Peak fire of 2020 which burned nearly 210,000 acres.
That fire started near the Chambers Lake reservoir in northern Colorado and eventually destroyed nearly 500 structures.
As sponsored by Democrat Representative Briana Titone, the legislation, HB24-1901, will make it illegal for homeowners’ associations to prohibit the use of fire-hardened building materials ranging from fiber cement siding to some types of stucco and metal in home construction.
The use of such materials, according to its supporters, would be in keeping with National Fire Protection Association standards, as well as the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code.
The legislation has now been sent to Governor Jared Polis for his signature.
By Garry Boulard
