LOUISVILLE, Colo. — Louisville City Council could discuss an ordinance as early as next week that if passed would allow property owners impacted by the Marshall Fire to opt out of 2021 building codes as part of the rebuilding process.
During its Tuesday meeting, council members discussed building code requirements for rebuilding after the fire which spread quickly and destroyed hundreds of homes in the city on Dec. 30.
In mid-October, the city council adopted an ordinance that included the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The code requires new buildings to be built with certain standards, which include electric vehicle charging stations and the ability to support solar panels. The goal was to make homes greener.
Some people who lost homes expressed concern that the codes will make rebuilding more expensive when many are already severely underinsured.
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The council discussed the possibilities of maintaining existing codes, repealing existing codes, or amending or modifying existing codes as they relate to rebuilding properties that were damaged or destroyed in the Marshall Fire.
They also suggested offering other options, like rebates to cover costs.
Ultimately, the council gave direction for staff to bring back an ordinance that would allow for affected property owners to opt out of the 2021 building codes.
A date has not been set yet, but the issue will likely come before the council on March 8 or 15.
There's a lot of confusion about how much it will cost to meet these rules.
During a city council meeting on Feb. 1, a consultant that worked with two local home builders said an analysis concluded homeowners would pay a minimum of $20,000 more to build a home under the 2021 code over the 2018 code.
But one person whose home was destroyed in the fire told 9NEWS builders are giving her quotes that are much higher than that. She thinks it will cost her around $100,000 to meet the 2021 code.
Meanwhile, the state said the additional costs to meet the energy code will be less than $5,000.
The neighboring town of Superior, where 378 homes were destroyed, has exempted its residents from stricter building codes.
Superior's town board unanimously adopted the 2021 building codes at a meeting Monday night, but allowed those who lost homes in the fire to opt out if they rebuild, following the building code in place at the time of the fire instead, Mayor Clint Folsom said.
The Superior board also backed giving fire victims a rebate on the town's sales tax on their building materials and part of their building permit fee, Folsom said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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