Boulder City Council on Oct. 16 continued the public hearing on Ordinance 8721 — a package of changes to the Boulder Revised Code governing landscaping, nonfunctional turf, water conservation and wildfire-hardening — and asked staff to return with revisions at the Dec. 18 regular meeting. The council voted unanimously to continue the hearing.

The ordinance, introduced at second reading, would move technical planting, mulch and irrigation standards out of the land‑use code and into a landscape manual to be adopted by city manager rule, align local rules with state legislation on nonfunctional turf, and add wildfire-hardening provisions in line with the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface code. Brad Mueller, director of Planning and Development Services, and Carl Geiler, manager of code amendments, said the package aims to balance water conservation, urban cooling and wildfire safety while limiting the immediate regulatory burden on property owners.

Why it matters: Staff told the council the state’s recent bills require cities to restrict nonfunctional turf in certain land uses starting Jan. 1, 2026, and argued the ordinance is intended to help Boulder meet that deadline while also advancing city goals for heat‑island reduction and wildfire resilience.

Staff presentation and key details
Carl Geiler walked the council through the package and supporting landscape manual. Highlights staff called out included: expansion of the wildland‑urban interface earlier this year to more than 16,000 parcels; a required noncombustible zone of 0–5 feet for new structures (clarified to apply to additions of 200 square feet or more, and to decks); a proposal to lower the threshold that triggers a required landscape plan from a 75% valuation trigger to 50% (a change staff said would bring more properties into review); and a new land‑disturbance threshold saying that work disturbing more than 50% of a property’s aggregated landscape area or more than 500 square feet would trigger a landscape plan.

Staff said the technical plant lists, mulch guidance (favoring smaller rock sizes that retain moisture over large stone), and irrigation limits would be maintained in a landscape manual adopted by city manager rule to allow quicker updates than code changes. The manual includes an approved Boulder tree-and-plant list developed with the Butterfly Pavilion and consultant Martin and Wood.

Public comment and planning-board reaction
Several residents, design professionals and horticulturists spoke during the public hearing. Speakers who supported the ordinance said water‑wise, low-flammability planting can be attractive and more ecologically beneficial than traditional turf; one horticulturist urged a “do not plant” approach rather than a limited affirmative list. Other commenters raised concerns about equity, potential loss of tree canopy, the appearance of more rock‑based landscapes, and the scope of projects that would trigger a landscape plan.

Council and stakeholder input reflected planning board feedback: the planning board failed to recommend adoption (3 in favor, 2 opposed, 2 absent), with concerns emphasizing tree protection on private property and the potential visual effects of increased rock and lower-canopy plantings. Staff told council the planning‑board concerns focused on whether the proposed low‑flammability plant requirements were sufficient to prevent unintended tree removals and to avoid worsening urban heat islands.

Council discussion and requested follow-ups
Councilors pressed staff for clarifications and suggested revisions on multiple points: thresholds that trigger landscape-plan requirements (particularly for low-density, single‑family properties), how the code treats additions and decks, the requirement to use a licensed landscape architect only for parcels over 1 acre, how public‑right‑of‑way tree work differs from private‑property regulation, and whether succulents or certain low‑water plants could be allowed in the 0–5 foot noncombustible zone in limited cases.

Council members asked staff to provide clearer outreach and communications to residents about what the ordinance would and would not require. Staff said they had already sent clarifying responses to some questions and agreed to draft a public clarification for wider distribution.

Formal action
At the conclusion of discussion, Mayor Aaron Brockett moved to continue the public hearing to the Dec. 18, 2025 regular meeting and asked staff to return with proposed revisions addressing the issues raised by council. The motion was seconded (second not specified in the record) and passed unanimously, 8–0.

What comes next
Staff said they will use the requested list of council changes to update the ordinance and the landscape manual and will aim to have the city manager rule and manual ready to align with the Jan. 1, 2026 state timeline where feasible. Staff also flagged that additional staff capacity will be necessary to expand plan reviews or new training requirements in the future.