The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Includes electric ready and solar ready requirements
By Kendra Walker
Mt. Crested Butte has officially joined the rest of the valley in adopting the 2021 International Building Codes (I-Codes). During their September 3 meeting, the Mt. Crested Butte town council held a public hearing and approved the second reading and adoption of the 2021 I-Codes and Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Codes.
Mt. Crested Butte was the last municipality in Gunnison County to adopt the new codes, as the county, city of Gunnison and the town of Crested Butte have already done so.
“So this will be uniform for all?” asked councilmember Michael Bacani.
“Yes, in general, but they all have different amendments,” said community development coordinator Todd Carroll.
The Mt. Crested Butte code includes amendments to the I-Codes that are specific to the town, its local amendments and other unique characteristics such as elevation, climate, snow loading, needs and goals. According to town staff, a large portion of the Mt. CB amendments have been carried over from the previous 2015 code adoption and haven’t changed.
One of the biggest changes, as required by the state of Colorado in the adoption of the 2021 I-Codes, is the inclusion of the Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Codes. These codes regulate the design and construction of buildings to prepare new buildings for solar photovoltaic or solar thermal, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and electrification of building systems. For example, new builds for one- and two-family homes/townhomes with at least 600 square feet of roof space must be solar ready, and new residential builds must have electrical and physical capacity to install EV charging equipment for one vehicle.
Bacani asked if there was any local data that shows how the new codes have impacted building costs for the different municipalities since adoption. “How are the costs going to change to build,” he said. “Is it adding onto costs that we keep progressively adding onto?”
“For the IECC (International Energy Conservation Code), the increase in costs is less than 1% in the overall building costs,” said community development coordinator Leah Desposato. However, staff did not have data specific to Gunnison County.
“It’s probably insignificant, but two meetings from now, we may hear from people in the audience commenting about how, once again, it’s not affordable to live here, how they can’t build a house here, how they can’t find a house here,” said Bacani. “And yet we just threw 1% on top of the cost.”
“One of the takeaways I’ve had is that the cost to implement the new code from the beginning and design your structure with that in mind is less than incorporating it later as an add-on or afterthought,” said mayor Nicholas Kempin.
The town did not receive any public pushback during the first or second reading of the ordinance adopting the new codes. During public comment at the September 3 public hearing, Mt. CB resident Andrew Arell applauded the council for improving the local building codes.
“I want to encourage you to further policies that ensure future development in Mt. CB is planned, built and inhabited in a manner that minimizes the negative climate impacts for future generations,” he said. “I’m calling on the council to follow the leadership of the town of Crested Butte in adopting similar electrification mandates. Let’s demonstrate our ambitions to be a model sustainable community. Please go further in adopting above-code regulations that use clean, efficient, electrical energy to reduce the carbon footprint of Mt. Crested Butte building.”
The council voted 4-1 to adopt the 2021 I-Codes and Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Codes. Councilmember Dwayne Lehnertz voted against without any comment and councilmembers Roman Kolodziej and Steve Morris were not at the meeting.
The new codes will become effective January 3, 2025 to allow applicants, design professionals and the contractor community time to adapt.
