Planning for Strategic Growth
In 2024, the Colorado Legislative Assembly adopted several pieces of legislation around housing, land use, water, and other related issues One of these laws, SB24-174, requires municipal, county, and regional comprehensive plans to include a strategic growth element and a water supply element by December 31, 2026. Strategic growth and water supply elements must be updated no less frequently than every five years.
Under state statute, strategic growth elements are required in all municipal, county, and regional master plans (referred to in DOLA guidance as the more commonly used “comprehensive plans”) with certain exemptions based on population and growth rate.
Objectives
- Integrate plan elements to discourage sprawl and promote development or redevelopment of vacant/underutilized parcels within urbanized areas
- Describe existing policies/tools to promote strategic growth and prevent sprawl
- Analyze parcels/areas for infill and adjacent greenfield
Benefits
- Efficient development: Promotes infill and redevelopment of underutilized parcels
- Fiscal responsibility: Reduces costly extension of utilities and services
- Productive development: Prioritizes development near transit and job centers
- Resource conservation: Preserves natural and agricultural lands by focusing growth inward
Colorado Revised Statutes now require that municipal, county, and regional comprehensive plans include a water supply element and these elements must be updated, in consultation with water providers, on no less than a 5-year basis. DOLA includes these requirements in grant guidelines.
Objectives
- The following is a checklist for water supply elements in comprehensive plans from Colorado statute C.R.S. 30-28-106(3)(a.5)(II) and C.R.S. 31-23-206(1.5)(c):
- Consult and coordinate with local water provider(s)
- Include water conservation policies
- Estimate a range of water supplies and facilities needed to support the potential public and private development described in the comprehensive plan
Benefits
- Informed decision-making: Aligns land use with water supply and infrastructure capacity
- Resource protection: Identifies and conserves preserves critical water resources
- Infrastructure coordination: Ensures water facilities can support planned development
- Cost management: Reduces infrastructure expenses through better planning
- Resilience building: Helps in development of drought, wildfire, and flood management policies
Water Supply Elements
Water supply elements are required in all municipal, county, and regional master/comprehensive plans.
Strategic Growth Elements
Strategic growth elements are required in all municipal, county, and regional master/comprehensive plans except:
- Municipalities, counties, and regions are not required to include a strategic growth element if they have not received funding to do so AND are:
- Municipalities with a population of 20,000 or less and have experienced negative population change, or with a population of 2,000 or less
- Counties with population of 20,000 or less and have experienced negative population change, or have a population of 5,000 or less in the county’s unincorporated territory
Applicability Tools
Applicability to different local governments varies by requirement. Please refer to the Multilaw Applicability Sheet for an organized list of jurisdictions or use DOLA’s Multilaw Applicability interactive map to see where all of the State land use and housing laws apply.
Colorado Revised Statutes 30-28-106(3)(a.7) and 31-23-206(1.7) now require that municipal, county, and regional comprehensive plans include a water supply element developed in consultation with water providers and a strategic growth element by:
- December 31, 2026; and
- Updated no less frequently than every five years
Funding Opportunities
- Housing Planning Grant Program
- Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) Planning Grants
- Colorado Water Plan Grants for Land Use and Conservation
Grant Prioritization
Specific state agencies are required under SB24-174 to update their grants criteria to prioritize projects from those local governments that are compliant with the requirements of the law (including housing needs assessments, housing action plans, and updated comprehensive plans with water supply element and strategic growth elements).
- Water Supply Elements in Comprehensive Plans
- Preliminary Guidance for Strategic Growth Elements in Comprehensive Plans (pending)
- Comprehensive Plans
- Guidance and technical assistance from Land Use and Water Planner, Scott Williamson