HomeMy WebLinkAboutTBSS 03-14-17Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, March 14, 2017
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the TOWN BOARD STUDY SESSION of
the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held at the
Town Hall in Rooms 202/203 in said Town of Estes Park on the 14th day of
March, 2017.
Board: Mayor Jirsa, Mayor Pro Tem Koenig, Trustees Holcomb,
Martchink, Nelson, Norris and Walker
Attending: All
Also Attending: Town Administrator Lancaster, Assistant Town Administrator
Machalek, Attorney White, CBO Birchfield and Recording
Secretary Beers
Absent: None.
Mayor Jirsa called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m.
PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2015 INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL
CODE RELATED TO VACATION RENTALS WITHIN THE ESTES PARK TOWN
LIMITS. Chief Building Official (CBO) Birchfield provided a description of the proposed
amendments to the International Building Residential Code (IBC) relating to single
family dwellings and vacation homes. He reviewed the general direction from the Board
as the following; do not regulate vacation homes as a change of use; maintain current
provision of exempting automatic sprinkler requirements for one- and two-family
dwellings regulated by the IBC; do not retroactively require sprinkler systems in existing
vacation homes which may legally have occupant loads of more than eight, where they
comply with specific requirements of the Estes Valley Development Codes (EVDC) as
of December 16, 2016; determine allowable occupant loads for vacation homes based
on the number of bedrooms, 2 per bedroom plus 2 additional persons; provide a
definition for a small hotel, and require exit signs. In order to fairly and consistently
administer the provisions of the IBC, it is necessary to amend the codes to address
local concerns related to vacation homes. He presented two flow charts outlining the
proposed changes from the current requirements and provided definitions of the
following:
• An Existing Building is described as any building built under permit prior to June
1, 2017, the effective date of the amendments.
• A Small Hotel is a building which contains dwelling units and/or sleeping units
where accommodations are provided for less than nine occupants, transient in
nature and units may be individually rented. Units are limited to 1800 sq. ft.
Amendments would exempt one- and two-family dwellings from automatic fire sprinkler
requirements. Existing vacation homes would require a Life Safety Survey as opposed
to the retroactive sprinkler requirement. Vacation homes would maintain current
occupancy regulations of two per bedroom plus two, requiring home owners to dictate
where the additional two persons would reside for sleeping purposes. All sleeping
rooms must comply with sleeping room requirements outlined in the IBC. Large vacation
homes occupancy is determined by the IBC occupant load factor of one person per
every 200 sq. ft. A large vacation home would be subject to retroactive sprinkler
requirement based on size over 1800 sq. ft. Staff proposed effective January 1, 2019,
all vacation homes would require a Certificate of Occupancy and Life Safety Survey
performed by a building official. The Board of Appeals approved of staff entering a
vacation home to inspect specific items related to vacation rentals. CBO Birchfield
presented images as examples of different types of violations inspectors see inside
homes. Staff has worked closely with the local fire department to review inspection
items and the proposed amendments.
Board discussion followed and has been summarized: safety concern for properties not
required to have sprinklers; consider revisiting the discussion in a year; and clarification
on the process of obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy.
Town Board Study Session – March 14, 2017 – Page 2
TRUSTEE & ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS & QUESTIONS.
Town Administrator Lancaster requested providing the Board with guidelines and
suggestions on committee meetings in an effort to make meetings more effective. Town
Board consensus was to review committee guidelines and limit required staff time
during meetings. Trustee Nelson recommended budgeted items go straight to Town
Board.
FUTURE STUDY SESSION AGENDA ITEMS.
Town Administrator Lancaster recommended discussing the Strategic Plan during
scheduled Study Sessions allowing conversation about each key outcome area as
opposed to discussing several items during a single meeting.
Director Muhonen has made contact with CDOT to discuss taking over minor street
maintenance for state highways in Town limits. A contract would give the Town more
control over changes to signage, stripping changes, light maintenance downtown, etc.
Town Administrator Lancaster asked to bring additional information to a Study Session
for discussion.
There being no further business, Mayor Jirsa adjourned the meeting at 6:32 p.m.
Bunny Victoria Beers, Recording Secretary