The Denver City Council on Monday eased regulations for evaporative coolers, deciding they conserved energy, but rejected a proposal that would have made it easier to put air-conditioning units in the side yards of homes.
Councilman Chris Nevitt pushed the effort to allow ground-level evaporative coolers to extend 3 feet from a home’s side and to allow roof-mounted units to break previous height restrictions.
Nevitt touted the energy-saving benefits of evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers.
He explained how he climbed on his home’s roof one recent cold morning with a noise-detection machine and had his wife turn on their cooler to prove his point that the coolers don’t disturb neighbors.
“We need to maximize in every way possible the use of evaporative coolers over air conditioners,” Nevitt said.
The council passed his proposal by a 9-2 vote, with Councilwomen Jeanne Robb and Jeanne Faatz objecting. Councilman Charlie Brown and Councilwoman Carol Boigon were absent.
Robb had led a spirited, but failed, effort to amend Nevitt’s proposal. She wanted to keep previous height restrictions on evaporative coolers. The city in the past would not allow those coolers to extend beyond a residential structure’s height of 30 to 35 feet typically allowed.
Meanwhile, the council rejected on an 11-0 vote a proposal from Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department to allow ground-level air-conditioning units to extend 3 feet from a home into a side yard.
Neighborhood leaders had objected, saying they feared the air-conditioning units would become too noisy for neighbors.
Current regulations permit air-conditioning units in side yards, but only with city approval.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
