Colorado Springs will not meet the deadline to enact the new state law on minimum parking requirements before the end of the month, continuing a standoff with the state over the scope of recent housing laws.

The Colorado Springs City Council unanimously voted against an ordinance at its meeting Tuesday that would have been a blanket adoption of House Bill 1304, the law passed in 2024 related to minimum parking requirements.

The ordinance probably was introduced in order to be rejected, a decision that confused some members of the council. Last week, the city Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the council not enact the new rules. City staff had not recommended the vote because they were still working on a modified version of the rules.

“I’ve heard some statements I agree with about not having performative politics. What are we doing with this thing today?” Councilmember Dave Donelson asked.

Council leaders were the ones who placed the ordinance on the agenda. President Pro Tem Brian Risley said he wanted to ensure the council had an official vote on the record before the state law went into effect.

“One of the concerns I have is, what happens if no action is taken? Is our silence deemed somehow to be consent if we don’t take an action one way or the other?” Risley said.

The parking law that goes into effect on Tuesday prevents cities from requiring a minimum number of parking spaces for new multifamily developments built within a quarter-mile of a major transit stop. Supporters argue the law will make it easier to build affordable housing by not having to factor parking lots into the design.

In Colorado Springs, the rule would potentially apply to Mountain Metropolitan Transit bus stops. A map published by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs shows that areas around Interstate 25, U.S. 24, Academy Boulevard and Pikes Peak Avenue would be the most heavily affected.

In May, the City Council passed a resolution asserting Colorado Springs’ home-rule authority in the face of what the council saw as overreach by Gov. Jared Polis and state lawmakers. A recent executive order issued by Polis directed state agencies to prioritize giving certain categories of state funds to cities that complied with the recent slate of state housing laws. The minimum parking requirements were among the laws explicitly listed by the executive order.

Planning Director Kevin Walker told the City Council his department was in constant communication with Polis and the Department of Local Affairs about the incoming rules. Walker said the city hoped to enact a modified version of the rules, similar to what the council approved earlier this year for accessory dwelling units.

“We believe this ordinance is not ready for prime time and rather than hitting a deadline, we’d rather bring you a better product,” Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s Chief of Staff Jamie Fabos told the council.