2022 Colorado Code
Title 31 - Government - Municipal
Article 12 - Annexation - Consolidation - Disconnection
Part 1 - Municipal Annexation Act of 1965
§ 31-12-105. Limitations

1. Notwithstanding any provisions of this part 1 to the contrary, the following limitations shall apply to all annexations:
   1. In establishing the boundaries of any territory to be annexed, no land held in identical ownership, whether consisting of one tract or parcel of real estate or two or more contiguous tracts or parcels of real estate, shall be divided into separate parts or parcels without the written consent of the landowners thereof unless such tracts or parcels are separated by a dedicated street, road, or other public way.
   2. In establishing the boundaries of any area proposed to be annexed, no land held in identical ownership, whether consisting of one tract or parcel of real estate or two or more contiguous tracts or parcels of real estate, comprising twenty acres or more (which, together with the buildings and improvements situated thereon has a valuation for assessment in excess of two hundred thousand dollars for ad valorem tax purposes for the year next preceding the annexation) shall be included under this part 1 without the written consent of the landowners unless such tract of land is situated entirely within the outer boundaries of the annexing municipality as they exist at the time of annexation. In the application of this paragraph (b), contiguity shall not be affected by a dedicated street, road, or other public way.
   3. No annexation pursuant to section 31-12-106 and no annexation petition or petition for an annexation election pursuant to section 31-12-107 shall be valid when annexation proceedings have been commenced for the annexation of part or all of such territory to another municipality, except in accordance with the provisions of section 31-12-114. For the purpose of this section, proceedings are commenced when the petition is filed with the clerk of the annexing municipality or when the resolution of intent is adopted by the governing body of the annexing municipality if action on the acceptance of such petition or on the resolution of intent by the setting of the hearing in accordance with section 31-12-108 is taken within ninety days after the said filings if an annexation procedure initiated by petition for annexation is then completed within the one hundred fifty days next following the effective date of the resolution accepting the petition and setting the hearing date and if an annexation procedure initiated by resolution of intent or by petition for an annexation election is prosecuted without unreasonable delay after the effective date of the resolution setting the hearing date.
   4. As to any annexation which will result in the detachment of area from any school district and the attachment of the same to another school district, no annexation pursuant to section 31-12-106 or annexation petition or petition for an annexation election pursuant to section 31-12-107 is valid unless accompanied by a resolution of the board of directors of the school district to which such area will be attached approving such annexation.
   5. 1. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (e), no annexation may take place that would have the effect of extending a municipal boundary more than three miles in any direction from any point of such municipal boundary in any one year. Within said three-mile area, the contiguity required by section 31-12-104 (1)(a) may be achieved by annexing a platted street or alley, a public or private right-of-way, a public or private transportation right-of-way or area, or a lake, reservoir, stream, or other natural or artificial waterway. Prior to completion of any annexation within the three-mile area, the municipality shall have in place a plan for that area that generally describes the proposed location, character, and extent of streets, subways, bridges, waterways, waterfronts, parkways, playgrounds, squares, parks, aviation fields, other public ways, grounds, open spaces, public utilities, and terminals for water, light, sanitation, transportation, and power to be provided by the municipality and the proposed land uses for the area. Such plan shall be updated at least once annually. Such three-mile limit may be exceeded if such limit would have the effect of dividing a parcel of property held in identical ownership if at least fifty percent of the property is within the three-mile limit. In such event, the entire property held in identical ownership may be annexed in any one year without regard to such mileage limitation. Such three-mile limit may also be exceeded for the annexation of an enterprise zone.
      2. Prior to completion of an annexation in which the contiguity required by section 31-12-104 (1)(a) is achieved pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (e), the municipality shall annex any of the following parcels that abut a platted street or alley, a public or private right-of-way, a public or private transportation right-of-way or area, or a lake, reservoir, stream, or other natural or artificial waterway, where the parcel satisfies all of the eligibility requirements pursuant to section 31-12-104 and for which an annexation petition has been received by the municipality no later than forty-five days prior to the date of the hearing set pursuant to section 31-12-108 (1):
         1. Any parcel of property that has an individual schedule number for county tax filing purposes upon the petition of the owner of such parcel;
         2. Any subdivision that consists of only one subdivision filing upon the petition of the requisite number of property owners within the subdivision as determined pursuant to section 31-12-107; and
         3. Any subdivision filing within a subdivision that consists of more than one subdivision filing upon the petition of the requisite number of property owners within the subdivision filing as determined pursuant to section 31-12-107.

   6. The parcels described in subparagraph (II) of paragraph (e) of this subsection (1) shall be annexed under the same or substantially similar terms and conditions and considered at the same hearing and in the same impact report as the initial annexation in which the contiguity required by section 31-12-104 (1)(a) is achieved by annexing a platted street or alley, a public or private right-of-way, a public or private transportation right-of-way or area, or a lake, reservoir, stream, or other natural or artificial waterway. Impacts of the annexation upon the parcels described in subparagraph (II) of paragraph (e) of this subsection (1) that abut such platted street or alley, public or private right-of-way, public or private transportation right-of-way or area, or lake, reservoir, stream, or other natural or artificial waterway shall be considered in the impact report required by section 31-12-108.5. As part of the same hearing, the municipality shall consider and decide upon any petition for annexation of any parcel of property having an individual schedule number for county tax filing purposes, which petition was received not later than forty-five days prior to the hearing date, where the parcel abuts any parcel described in subparagraph (II) of paragraph (e) of this subsection (1) and where the parcel otherwise satisfies all of the eligibility requirements of section 31-12-104.
   7. In connection with any annexation in which the contiguity required by section 31-12-104 (1)(a) is achieved by annexing a platted street or alley, a public or private right-of-way, a public or private transportation right-of-way or area, or a lake, reservoir, stream, or other natural or artificial waterway, upon the latter of ninety days prior to the date of the hearing set pursuant to section 31-12-108 or upon the filing of the annexation petition, the municipality shall provide, by regular mail to the owner of any abutting parcel as reflected in the records of the county assessor, written notice of the annexation and of the landowner's right to petition for annexation pursuant to section 31-12-107. Inadvertent failure to provide such notice shall neither create a cause of action in favor of any landowner nor invalidate any annexation proceeding.
   8. In establishing the boundaries of any area proposed to be annexed, if a portion of a platted street or alley is annexed, the entire width of said street or alley shall be included within the area annexed.
   9. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (f) of this subsection (1), a municipality shall not deny reasonable access to landowners, owner of an easement, or the owner of a franchise adjoining a platted street or alley which has been annexed by the municipality but is not bounded on both sides by the municipality.
   10. The execution by any municipality of a power of attorney for real estate located within an unincorporated area shall not be construed to comply with the election provisions of this article for purposes of annexing such unincorporated area. Such annexation shall be valid only upon compliance with the procedures set forth in this article.

Source: L. 75: Entire title R&RE, p. 1078, § 1, effective July 1. L. 87: (1)(e) to (1)(g) added, p. 1218, § 2, effective May 28. L. 96: (1)(h) added, p. 1770, § 69, effective July 1. L. 97: (1)(c) and (1)(d) amended, p. 994, § 1, effective May 27. L. 2001, 2nd Ex. Sess.: (1)(e) amended and (1)(e.1) and (1)(e.3) added, p. 32, § 2, effective November 6.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 31-8-105 as it existed prior to 1975.