3A
It's hard to build housing in Littleton
It’s hard to build housing in Littleton. When the council tried to make it easier, residents revolted.
After months of acrimony, Littleton voters this November will get a more direct say in city housing policy through city charter amendment 3A and a slate of mayor and council races that have become a referendum on growth.
BY BRIAN EASON, THE COLORADO SUN
In December 2019, a proposed community of 85 relatively affordable homes was on the cusp of approval in the south Denver suburbs.
Two months earlier, the Littleton City Council had voted unanimously to adopt Envision Littleton, a long-term plan that called for more apartments and starter homes. Without more housing options, planners concluded, the city was becoming unaffordable for working class families.
So when a developer wanted to build narrow single-family homes on small lots, priced at around $450,000, the city planning staff recommended the project as a good use of an old industrial lot at the corner of West Powers Avenue and Delaware Street. The planning commission agreed, voting in the project’s favor.
But the council refused to rezone the land.
As Gov. Jared Polis and state lawmakers promote density as a solution to Colorado’s affordability crisis, success will depend on places like Littleton, where homebuilders say the deck is stacked against them.
Housing projects have to navigate a web of red tape just to get through the early stages of planning, housing professionals and local officials say. And even if they survive the initial approval process, months or years spent fine-tuning blueprints can be all for naught if enough residents rally the council against new housing.
In recent years, a more housing-friendly City Council has pushed to overhaul Littleton’s land use code. They legalized accessory dwelling units or “granny flats” in accordance with state law, and empowered planning staff to approve some projects on their own, bypassing the usual gauntlet of neighborhood opposition. But in January, a proposal to allow “missing middle housing,” like duplexes and small townhomes, in single-family neighborhoods proved a bridge too far.
Homeowners pushed back in force, packing public meetings and threatening to unseat the mayor and most of the city council. The backlash led the council to table its zoning rewrite and pledge to work more closely with neighborhood groups on future planning efforts. But that wasn’t enough to satisfy opponents.
After months of acrimony that culminated in a brief court dispute, voters in November will get a more direct say in city housing policy through a city charter amendment and a slate of mayor and council races that have become a referendum on growth.
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Why your vote in Littleton’s local election matters more than you think
The recent No Kings protests have energized many of us with a renewed commitment to protecting democracy. This momentum is exactly what we need to carry forward into Littleton’s local elections this November. While presidential elections often dominate the spotlight, local elections are where decisions directly affecting our daily lives are made, and your vote matters now more than ever.
Why local elections have a greater impact than many realize
Civics education in the U.S. often overlooks the power and importance of local government. The reality is that your city council, mayor, and local boards influence many aspects of your family’s life, from property values and neighborhood character to school quality and public safety.
Consider this:
- Neighborhood growth and housing: Local officials decide how neighborhoods develop, which affects housing affordability and the overall community feel.
- Public services and infrastructure: City leaders set priorities for road maintenance, parks, libraries, emergency services, and more.
- Education funding: Local government influences school resources, directly impacting education quality.
- Public health and environment: Local policies govern public health initiatives and environmental stewardship in Littleton.
Because these decisions shape our everyday experiences, skipping local elections — often dismissed as “off-year” or “less important” — means missing a critical opportunity to influence your community’s future.
What’s at stake in Littleton this election?
This year’s election isn’t just about electing names to office. It’s about defining what kind of community we want to build. One of the most consequential issues on the ballot is Ballot Measure 3A.
At first glance, 3A presents itself as a safeguard to protect neighborhood character by limiting density changes. But a closer look reveals that the measure would:
- Freeze current zoning and land use rules as of January 1, 2025, permanently locking in place regulations before recent updates took effect.
- Undo recent progress on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which were made legal under state law to help homeowners create affordable, flexible housing options. This rollback would put Littleton at odds with state requirements.
- Restrict the city’s ability to make even minor zoning adjustments, requiring costly and time-consuming citywide votes for changes that are currently handled through the flexible Unified Land Use Code (ULUC).
- Create legal and financial risks for Littleton, including potential loss of state grants that fund essential services like road repairs, sidewalks, and infrastructure projects.
- Reduce Littleton’s capacity to adapt to future challenges, whether demographic shifts, new state laws, or evolving community needs.
3A essentially enshrines inflexible, outdated zoning rules into the City Charter, a move that undermines the responsive, collaborative planning process Littleton needs to thrive.
Leadership matters: Who’s running and what they represent
This election also features candidates aligned with divisive MAGA politics, supported by well-funded special interest groups and deep-pocketed donors. These candidates have opposed critical community resources, environmental protections, and have even been implicated in unethical behavior, including election tampering. This is not the leadership Littleton needs.
In contrast, we support candidates who bring experience, integrity, and a commitment to inclusive, pragmatic governance:
- Kyle Schlachter for Mayor
- Joel Zink for City Council, At Large
- Amanda Henderson for City Council, District 3
- Merrill Stillwell for City Council, District 1
These candidates are dedicated to keeping Littleton a vibrant, welcoming community that can face future challenges with smart, adaptable solutions.
Your vote is your voice, so make it count!
Regardless of your political affiliation, this local election is your opportunity to influence the future of Littleton. Democracy isn’t just an event every four years; it’s an ongoing process, starting with engagement in our own neighborhoods.
Take time to carefully review your ballot, understand the stakes — especially around measures like 3A — and vote with intention on Election Day. Littleton deserves leaders who listen, adapt, and act with the community’s best interests at heart.
Let’s bring the passion from the No Kings movement into the voting booth. Local democracy is where real power lies. It’s time we take it seriously.