Gov. Jared Polis and his legislative allies aim to turn Colorado’s cities, towns and neighborhoods into an ambitious experiment. And residents are the guinea pigs — especially if they are among the two-thirds of Coloradans who call a single-family dwelling their home.

State-imposed changes to local zoning codes, pushed through the General Assembly by the governor over the past two years, force Polis’ untested vision for affordable housing onto the most populous parts of the state whether or not citizens want it. The legislation mandates a host of changes to local zoning rules on considerations ranging from housing units per parcel to parking. It all boils down to an attempt to cram more housing into less space.

Such “density” zoning is touted by its starry-eyed advocates to create more affordable housing. It’s at best a debatable proposition that hinges on a lot variables, and even the usual experts — Realtors, economists and the like — don’t all agree on the matter.

What isn’t in dispute is that the new density dogma will disrupt the way most people live. The utopian urban planners who dreamed up the ideology envision people living in lofts over their favorite French bistro, coffee house or, more likely, convenience store — all clustered together in just a few “sustainable” city blocks. The target is traditional neighborhoods — with a big bullseye painted on that American dream, the single-family home. It’s the new public enemy.

As we’ve noted here before, the new laws are at best legally suspect. They trample constitutional and statutory authority long reserved to Colorado cities to chart their own course on fundamental land-use matters. Zoning is an intrinsically local concern. Locals best know the lay of the land, and their elected local governments are most answerable to them and the most receptive to heeding their wishes. The state government has no business butting in.

Which is why in May, the cities of Aurora, Arvada, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Lafayette and Westminster sued in Denver District Court to stop Polis and the legislature from steamrolling them and their citizens. The cities represent a smorgasbord of economics, politics and demographics, and they hardly see eye to eye on development. Their common ground is they rightly oppose the state’s usurpation of their fundamental ability to chart their own course on growth and development to meet the needs and aspirations of their own citizens.

As reported this week by our affiliate Colorado Politics, those cities appealed to the Colorado public Monday in an open letter posted online. (See: https://greenwoodvillage.com/DocumentCenter/View/28566/OPEN-LETTER—6-mayors-vow-to-protect-constitutional-right-of-Home-Rule) The cities’ mayors make their case convincingly.

“While the bills broadly speak to the critical issues of housing and affordability, ultimately, they force new, state-developed land use requirements on our communities,” the mayors write. “These one-size-fits-all mandates do not consider the fiscal resources, broader infrastructure, geographies or characters of our communities when prescribing solutions that we must follow. Even worse, the bills strip constituents of their right to be a part of the deliberative process and to have their appeals heard — constitutional rights guaranteed by Home Rule.”

The overarching point that seems to elude the governor is that there is no right or wrong way for a community to develop and thrive. Rather, changes in land use proposed for a community as it evolves must be examined and decided locally, case by case. As Thomas Jefferson put it, “The government closest to the people serves the people best.”

Bravo to these Colorado cities and their leaders for standing their ground on behalf of their citizens and in defense of their neighborhoods. We again urge other cities, including second city Colorado Springs, to get on board.

The Gazette Editorial Board