Colorado Code § 31-12-105

Limitations
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(1) Notwithstanding any provisions of this part 1 to the
contrary, the following limitations apply to all annexations:
(a) 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.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) (I) 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.
(II) 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):
(A) Any parcel of property that has an individual schedule number for county tax filing
purposes upon the petition of the owner of such parcel;
(B) 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
(C) 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.
(e.1) 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.
(e.3) 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.
(f) 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.
(g) 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.
(h) 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.
(i) For any annexation that will result in annexation of lands within the exterior
boundaries of a reservation of a federally recognized Indian tribe located within the state, 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 or ordinance
of the tribal council or other governing body of the federally recognized Indian tribe within
whose reservation the annexation will occur approving the annexation. This subsection (1)(i)
applies to annexation of all lands within the exterior boundaries of a reservation of a federally
recognized Indian tribe located within the state regardless of the status of the lands sought to be
annexed.

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