Arapahoe County requires property owners to maintain defensible space in designated Wildland-Urban Interface zones, especially southern county areas near Cherry Creek State Park and foothills. The Marshall Fire (Dec 2021) prompted stricter Front Range enforcement. Colorado has no statewide defensible space mandate.
Arapahoe County does not have a California-style statewide brush clearance law, but WUI areas fall under local fire protection district standards. South Metro Fire Rescue (serving Centennial, Littleton, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, and unincorporated areas) and Aurora Fire Rescue enforce defensible space guidance based on the Colorado State Forest Service model. Typical requirements: Zone 1 (0-5 ft) non-combustible around structures, Zone 2 (5-30 ft) reduced vegetation and thinned trees, Zone 3 (30-100+ ft) managed fuel loads. Cherry Creek Reservoir and surrounding open space receive CPW and Arapahoe County Open Space attention. The Marshall Fire in December 2021 destroyed 1,084 homes in Boulder County and caused Front Range jurisdictions including Arapahoe County to tighten grass/weed abatement and WUI enforcement. C.R.S. §30-15-401(1.5) authorizes counties to declare vegetation a nuisance. Noxious weed abatement (C.R.S. §35-5.5-101) is enforced by the Arapahoe County Weed Control program.
Notice to abate with 10-30 day compliance deadline. County abatement at owner's expense plus administrative fee. Lien placed on property if unpaid. Repeat: $500 to $1,000 under county nuisance code.
Centennial, CO
Centennial's Municipal Code Chapter 10, Article 12 prohibits excessive noise that endangers personal or real property. The city relies on a general 'excessiv...
Centennial, CO
Centennial regulates construction noise through its general noise ordinance and building regulations under Chapter 18. Construction activities are generally ...
Centennial, CO
Centennial's animal regulations address incessant barking as a noise disturbance that violates the peace and quiet of a neighborhood. Dogs found creating exc...
Centennial, CO
Centennial limits RV and trailer street parking to 48 hours at a time with at least 24 hours between parking periods. RVs must park in front of and on the sa...
Centennial, CO
Centennial's Land Development Code regulates driveway design and parking surfaces. The city rejected a 2019 proposal to limit yard parking area percentages. ...
Centennial, CO
Centennial approved a 14-day street parking limit for regular vehicles in residential areas. After 14 days, the vehicle must be off the street for 7 consecut...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Arapahoe County.
See how other cities in Arapahoe County handle brush clearance.
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