GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (KDVR) — Last week, the governor’s office announced a plan to create more housing across Colorado. Senate Bill 23-213 makes way for more housing by allowing people to build accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes or townhomes on their properties.

“By cutting red tape, legalizing more housing choices, strengthening property owners’ rights, and planning for future growth, we can create more housing at a lower cost in Colorado communities near where people work or play,” Gov. Jared Polis said.

Under the bill, buyers can build multi-family housing, up to six units, in residential zones. It also allows for ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, to be built on single-family lots. The ADUs can be up to 50% of the size of the original structure and within 5 feet of the property line.

“Our housing shortage is driving up the cost of living, straining our economy and forcing people to leave their communities or commute further to work. We need to allow property owners the right to build different types of housing like ADUs, duplexes and triplexes to increase our housing stock and make housing more affordable while also respecting the character of local communities,” said state Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver.

But not everyone is on board with this idea. On Monday, Greenwood Village City Council passed a resolution opposing the bill.

“The most important issue for our citizens is their neighborhoods and where they live,” said Dave Kerber, mayor pro tem for Greenwood Village.

“With this bill, it takes all that away what it does is the state mandates they don’t have a say over who their neighbors are going to be or whether they can have an apartment complex across the street,” said Kerber.

Kerber said the decision over what can be built in residential zones should be left up to local governments that know their communities best.

“Whenever there’s a development, we try to look at it and see what the best way is to get that development with the least adverse consequences. This bill actually says we cannot consider whether a development is in harmony with the neighborhood,” Kerber said.

The bill lays out a plan to have a 54% increase in new housing development opportunities that are within walking distance of high-quality transit services. This would impact residential zones within a half mile of transit. Greenwood Village says this includes large portions of City Council Districts 2, 3 and 4.

“People can take a lot of direction but when it comes to messing with their houses they’re very, very upset,” Kerber said.

The next hearing for SB23-213 is scheduled for Thursday.