Four years after Marshall Fire, Superior turns to ADUs to rebuild lost housing

SUPERIOR, Colo. — Four years after the Marshall Fire destroyed Superior’s most affordable neighborhoods, the town is turning to accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as one path toward rebuilding lost housing.

An ADU is a separate, secondary dwelling built on the same lot as the main residence.

"Historically, our original town was the more affordable area of town," said Renae Stavros, planning and building director for the Town of Superior. "But we lost all of it to the Marshall Fire."

She explained the original homes in the neighborhoods near town hall were built in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s.

"They were just naturally affordable before, and once gone, the cost of the land is much higher now. The cost for construction, the cost for materials, really, just in order to build a house today, especially in Boulder County—it's expensive," she said. "Affordable housing in Superior, as of today, doesn't really exist."

Throughout this month, Denver7 has checked in with metro-area communities receiving funds from the first-ever Colorado Department of Local Affairs Accessory Dwelling Unit Grant Program.

Superior will receive $225,000, which they will put toward their Superior Building Today: Encouraging ADUs in the Town of Superior program, with the town providing $75,000 in matching funds.

Part of the plan is to develop pre-approved ADU designs for homeowners to choose from.

It's similar to what the City of Brighton plans to do with its grant.

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"Having a pre-set design will help you get through that process a lot faster," said Michael Martinez, city manager for the City of Brighton, when Denver7 reported on the city's ADU plan.

Superior also plans to research how to waive building fees or offset ADU costs in certain cases, using a consultant in the upcoming year.

Larimer County is exploring similar solutions with their grant funds, considering fee waivers to support affordable ADU construction.

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"In exchange for keeping that housing affordable, we are willing, and able now, to waive the building permit fees," said Rebecca Everette, community development director for Larimer County, when Denver7 reported on their ADU plan.

Superior's plan also includes a GIS story map that will guide homeowners interested in building ADUs through the process and explain the available waivers and preset designs.

"There are still a lot of Marshall Fire survivors who have been displaced because of the cost of housing, and so we really hope that we can incentivize, in some way, Marshall Fire survivors to be able to come back," said Stavros.

She added that about 50 units of affordable housing for Seniors are set to begin construction in 2026.

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