Zoning Overlays & Bonuses in Colorado (2026)
19 rules on the books across Colorado, 13 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Density Bonus Law
California Density Bonus Law (Gov Code §65915) and local implementations granting up to 50% density bonuses for affordable-housing projects.
Mesa County
Significant RestrictionsIn the Agricultural, Forestry, Transitional (AFT) district, Mesa County lets a subdivision exceed its base…
Read full rule →Arapahoe County
Some RestrictionsIn the A-E and A-1 rural districts, Arapahoe County lets a cluster-subdivision applicant earn discretionary density…
Read full rule →Boulder
Some RestrictionsIn Boulder's RMX-2 zoning district, developers can earn up to ten extra dwelling units per acre through a site review…
Read full rule →Denver
Some RestrictionsDenver developers who provide income-restricted units above the base requirement earn extra building height and floor…
Read full rule →Fort Collins
Some RestrictionsIn the Low Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood District, Fort Collins caps residential density at nine dwelling units per…
Read full rule →Greeley
Some RestrictionsGreeley's Residential Micro-Housing (R-MH) district caps base density at 10 units per acre, but projects with more than…
Read full rule →Longmont
Some RestrictionsLongmont lets residential and mixed-use developments that include at least 12 percent affordable rental or ownership…
Read full rule →Arvada
Light RestrictionsArvada lets mixed-use (MX) district developers build 15 feet taller, up to a 120-foot overall maximum, if a project…
Read full rule →Littleton
Light RestrictionsLittleton lets developers earn up to a 20 percent density bonus above the maximum allowed in their zoning district by…
Read full rule →Downtown Design Guide
LA's Downtown Design Guide and Community Plan governing high-rise massing, ground-floor activation, and adaptive-reuse standards in DTLA.
Arvada
Significant RestrictionsArvada regulates downtown building design through a form-based zoning district, not conventional use zoning. Section…
Read full rule →Commerce City
Significant RestrictionsCommerce City requires development inside the Derby sub-area to satisfy the Derby design guidelines, enforced by the…
Read full rule →Fort Collins
Significant RestrictionsNew buildings in Fort Collins' Downtown District must follow prescriptive design standards set out in Transitional Land…
Read full rule →Longmont
Significant RestrictionsInside Longmont's Downtown Development Authority area, the city-adopted Downtown Sign Design Standards (Appendix A)…
Read full rule →Pueblo
Significant RestrictionsExterior work on any building in Pueblo's Historic Business district needs Historic Preservation Commission review and…
Read full rule →Denver
Some RestrictionsDenver requires design review by a nine-member, mayor-appointed Downtown Design Advisory Board before development…
Read full rule →Grand Junction
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Grand Junction, new buildings, additions and substantial exterior remodels inside the Downtown District…
Read full rule →Greeley
Some RestrictionsGreeley's Downtown Overlay 1 waives density, height, setback and parking rules downtown but locks in preferred…
Read full rule →Littleton
Some RestrictionsLittleton's DT Standards of Design set building type, height, build-to-zone, and district-specific frontage rules for…
Read full rule →Loveland
Some RestrictionsLoveland's Unified Development Code devotes Division 18.04.06 to mandatory Downtown Design Standards for the DT Zone…
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