Overview
Worth knowing
- New UDC effective June 5, 2023 — full code rewrite (RetoolCOS 2021-2023) from 1990s-era ordinance. Code is less than 3 years old; expect ongoing amendments.
- NNA-O (North Nevada Avenue Overlay) has its own use column in the base district use table — unusual for overlay to be integrated directly into base use table rather than modification table.
- HP-O can be LESS restrictive than base zone on dimensional standards — Historic Preservation Board may recommend setback/height relief if preservation requires it.
+ 3 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 5res_mf 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-Estate | Estate Residential | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R1-9000 | Single-Family 9,000 sf | res_sf | 9,000 sf | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R1-6000 | Single-Family 6,000 sf | res_sf | 6,000 sf[1] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-2 | Two-Family / Duplex | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-5 | Multi-Family Residential | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-MH | Manufactured / Mobile Home | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
SSO
Streamside Overlay
ENVAreas with intermittent and perennial streams; proximity-based from city maps
| criteria | 11 review criteria: natural feature protection, wildlife preservation, stream bank stabilization, riparian buffers |
|---|---|
| guidelines | Must comply with Streamside Design Guidelines (separate document) |
HSO
Hillside Overlay
HSAreas with ridgelines, bluffs, rock outcroppings, significant slopes, wildlife habitat, geologic conditions
| manual | Must comply with Hillside Development Design Manual |
|---|---|
| standards | Terrain disturbance minimization, natural feature integration, visual impact mitigation |
HP-O
Historic Preservation Overlay
HPProperties designated by City Council through Historic Preservation Board review
| review | Historic Preservation Board review for all exterior changes |
|---|---|
| relief_options | Board may recommend: reduced setbacks, height limit waiver, alley parking, up to 100% compact parking, up to 50% parking reduction |
| rezoning | Strict rezoning criteria at §7.5.704.D |
PPO
Planned Provisional Overlay
PDUnique situations or relationships between new and existing development; Council action
| note | Establishes special procedures and/or development standards; sometimes called 'Conditions of Record' |
|---|
HRO
High Rise Overlay
DTAreas usually near downtown
| effect | Allows high-rise buildings with special height, floor area, and bulk limitations |
|---|---|
| note | Specific height and FAR parameters not extracted |
APO
Airport Overlay (AICUZ)
APDefined area around Colorado Springs Airport per Hillside and Airport Overlay Map
| subzones | APZ-1, APZ-2, Aircraft Navigation, Airport Noise, Runway Protection Zone |
|---|---|
| restrictions | Height and incompatible use restrictions by subzone; FAA regulations govern max height |
DFO
Design Flexibility Overlay
CONWorks exclusively with R-Estate, R1-9000, and R1-6000 zone districts
| effect | Maximum design flexibility while ensuring character consistency with base zone |
|---|
Adopted building codes
Denver & state buildings; home rule elsewhere
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- New UDC effective June 5, 2023 — full code rewrite (RetoolCOS 2021-2023) from 1990s-era ordinance. Code is less than 3 years old; expect ongoing amendments.
- NNA-O (North Nevada Avenue Overlay) has its own use column in the base district use table — unusual for overlay to be integrated directly into base use table rather than modification table.
- HP-O can be LESS restrictive than base zone on dimensional standards — Historic Preservation Board may recommend setback/height relief if preservation requires it.
- High-preemption state: CO has among the most active state zoning preemption agendas in the US. HB 24-1152 (ADU mandate), HB 24-1304 (parking near transit), additional lot size reform (HB 26-1114) in 2026.
- City opposed HB 24-1152 ADU and HB 24-1304 parking mandates during 2024 legislative process but must now comply. ADU ordinance updated early 2025.
- 6 mixed-use districts exist but names and dimensional standards not extracted.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Not extracted — see UDC §7.3.x and §7.4.2
- lot_coverage
- Not extracted — see UDC §7.4.2
- far
- Not extracted — see UDC §7.4.2
- du_ac
- Not extracted — see UDC §7.4.2
- impervious_cover
- setback_front
- Not extracted — see UDC §7.4.2
- setback_side
- Not extracted
- setback_rear
- Not extracted
- parking
- Not extracted — see UDC; HB 24-1304 prohibits parking minimums near transit
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far- parking_required
units * parking
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
Sort by
Max height
— ft
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Floor area ratio
—
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
——
Copy zoning profile
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Citations
- [1] §7.2.204
Research status
Data quality
20%completeness10 confirmed20 partial5 inferred
Documented gaps
- All base district dimensional standards (height, setbacks, FAR, lot coverage, parking) not extracted from UDC tables
- 4+ additional residential district names not confirmed
- 6 mixed-use district names and standards not extracted
- 3 industrial district names and standards not extracted
- High Rise Overlay specific height and FAR parameters not extracted
Known issues
schema:v1-legacypriority:lowdata:gaps-present
Other cities in this state
Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.