Places in the Denver-area with few zoning rules?

[Jerry Bckr]

Bouncing,
Most neighborhoods have covenants, the thing is most of them are unenforced, because there isn't a neighborhood enforcement mechanism in place for doing so. Places like Highlands Ranch have full time people to make sure submittals apply to guidlines and that homeowners are following them. Denver has codes that people need to follow and I would suggest that you get a copy of theirs or any community's codes to see what is important to that community. Things like having chickens or not mowing weeds, etc. usually will cause a problem.

You also seem to confuse covenants with building codes. You mention adding a front porch, well, that falls under building codes and there isn't a community in the state that wouldn't require you to get a permit and comply with building codes applicable to that community. Same would apply to solar panels. These are in place to make sure whatever you build is safe and won't cause injury to you or a neighbor.

Now the "organic" garden could cause a problem in the sense of where was it located. Usually, you can't do that in the front yard. You have to be considerate of your neighbors. Most neighbors wouldn't mind if you have one fenced in your back yard, but they don't want you doing anything that's going to make their home look trashy. For instance, you usually won't have problems painting your home any color you like, but your neighbors might find a "electric" orange color to be objectional. If you're cool about what you're doing and don't make it an issue to your neighbors, most of them won't bother you or report you to zoning.

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by bouncing

I've been saving up money for years and have a decent downpayment. I'm a first-time buyer and I want to be able to add a porch, have an organic garden instead of a yard, and maybe add solar panels if I can afford it. A friend of mine had an organic garden in Denver and the city sent him nasty-grams because his herbs weren't "mowed."

I talked to a real estate agent who seemed utterly mystified that I wouldn't want an HOA or deed restrictions. Thought I'd poke around on this forum.

I'm not a fan of HOA's myself.

I've seen a few people with vegetable gardens in their front lawns as well as plenty of xeriscaped yards in Englewood. I've also seen backyard chickens and solar panels.

Englewood is planning to open a community garden this Spring City of Englewood : Community Garden

Here is a link to their zoning laws:
City of Englewood : Community Development

[denverian]

Originally Posted by bouncing

Well, I could get by with an area just zoned for residential or zoned with a building height limit. I don't want to buy a house and turn it into apartments, either.

But aesthetic requirements on anything I do to "maintain the character" of a neighborhood make me wary. I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid.

I've been saving up money for years and have a decent downpayment. I'm a first-time buyer and I want to be able to add a porch, have an organic garden instead of a yard, and maybe add solar panels if I can afford it. A friend of mine had an organic garden in Denver and the city sent him nasty-grams because his herbs weren't "mowed."

I talked to a real estate agent who seemed utterly mystified that I wouldn't want an HOA or deed restrictions. Thought I'd poke around on this forum.

I doubt if Stapleton (where I live) would be what you're looking for, but for a new development, it's pretty laid back. I know people with chickens here (for the eggs), I've seen people plant corn in their front yard, all cactus in the front yard, dig out their xeriscaping and replace it with grass, paint their house wild colors, there are still people w/Christmas lights up, etc. You don't have to get permission to change your landscaping or paint your house either. Sounds like you're looking for more organic developmnt and land though. I used to work w/a guy who lived in Lakewood and had a little chicken farm in his back yard... maybe you could check out there.

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by Dorthy

Englewood comes to mind. I don't know what the zoning laws say but they are certainly not strictly enforced. You'd have plenty to choose from in your price range and it is a very walkable area. It's on the light rail line and on the 0 Bus line which goes from Highlands Ranch to downtown.

Be careful though to say it isn't strictly enforced as if the law is on the books it just takes a small change in priorities and then they'll be enforced. At least in my part of Centennial they hadn't been enforcing the code violations and now they're enforcing like gangbusters! Seems like the unincorporated areas would generally have less codes you'd have to worry about. As for chickens, my neighbor has them and for curiosity I looked in the code and it doesn't say anything about having them. I don't think it's against code in many cities but they'll probably address it as it becomes more popular.

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by chilicheesefries

Be careful though to say it isn't strictly enforced as if the law is on the books it just takes a small change in priorities and then they'll be enforced. At least in my part of Centennial they hadn't been enforcing the code violations and now they're enforcing like gangbusters! Seems like the unincorporated areas would generally have less codes you'd have to worry about. As for chickens, my neighbor has them and for curiosity I looked in the code and it doesn't say anything about having them. I don't think it's against code in many cities but they'll probably address it as it becomes more popular.

Good point. Englewood is focused on making improvements so I could see this happening. You also never know who your neighbors are, some couldn't care less what you are doing with your property and others might report you for zoning infractions. Like someone said earlier, permits are always required. I've seen plenty of people try to get away without them only to find themselves with a "stop work" order on their front door. I've also noticed people getting fined for not shoveling their walkways.

You can see the specific zoning laws as well as Englewood's plans for the future on the link I provided earlier in the thread.

I've heard that a few counties allow chickens. Denver County is one that is taking it into consideration with their new zoning laws. Aurora looked into it and it was shot down.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Don't confuse zoning laws (adopted and enforced by the city or town) with HOA regulations (adopted by the developer and enforced by a neighborhood board). Zoning laws are necessary to separate uses that are not compatible with each other, as well as setting guidelines for where on your property you can place building improvements. Zoning codes may also include what kind of animals you can keep and whether or not you can run a business from your home. Zoning laws are enforced by city/town staff, some on a pro-active basis and some on complaint-only basis.

HOA regulations (CCRs) can be stricter than city/town laws, but cannot be more lenient. So your HOA can require that all houses in the subdivision be painted a particular color. Enforcement of CCRs depends on how active your neighborhood association is; some are very strict and some are non-exitent.