SUBJECT: General Business
Unified Development Code (UDC) Update Report
DEPARTMENT: Planning and Development
PRESENTER: Fred Starr, Director
TIME ESTIMATE: 20 Minutes
FISCAL INFORMATION: N/A
Cost as Recommended:
Balance Available:
Budget Line Item Number:
New Appropriation Required:
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff will present information on activities to date regarding updating the Unified Development Code (UDC) and will seek input from the Board of Trustees.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
Since our last update to the Board in March, staff have been meeting with individual developers as well as holding monthly meetings with the Denver Home Builders Association working group, to discuss and identify suggested changes to the UDC.
In addition, we have taken following steps to improve our existing process for land-use applications while still meeting all existing code provisions:
* Made changes in our operating procedures to address concerns about review times for land-use applications. Because the existing code does not have well defined review timelines for certain types or stages of land-use applications, we have implemented a standard review schedule format which gives both the applicants and staff a structure by which we review applications, without the need to amend the UDC to accomplish this goal.
* We are encouraging applicants to meet with both planning and engineering staff in a pre-application format to identify significant issues and possible solutions prior to a formal submittal. These face-to-face meetings seem to result in more complete submittals, fewer and faster reviews, and shortened total processing time.
* The planning, engineering, field engineering inspectors, building department and public works staff are working together to develop a "Process Map" which will critically evaluate how these departments work together in processing land-use applications. This will help identify missing opportunities to imp...
Click here for full text