In this issue, you will find:

• Denver cuts residential permitting review times by 33 percent
• Join us for one of two virtual town halls on the citywide ADUs project
• Denver Zoning Code text amendment bundle public review draft available
• Affordable housing linkage fee to increase July 1 
• Note for contractors: City and County of Denver permit policy update
• Call for nominations: 2025 Mayor's Design Awards
• Affordable housing highlight: Nest56 at Denargo Market
• District 10 Community Conversation on Affordable Denver
• ICYMI: Recaps from our last newsletter

This week, Mayor Mike Johnston, joined by Denver Community Planning and Development and other city agencies, announced that the city has cut bureaucratic red tape and streamlined processes to exceed Mayor Johnston’s goal of cutting residential permitting times by 30 percent and is on track to reduce commercial permitting times by 30 percent by the end of the year.

“We are reimagining the customer experience at CPD because we want residents and other stakeholders to easily navigate our process without bureaucratic burden holding up their dreams,” said CPD Executive Director Manish Kumar, who began his role in April. “I applaud our staff and city partners for being on track to meet the mayor’s goal of a 30 percent reduction on the residential review time. We are also pleased to roll out more improvements in the months ahead. I am confident that we will use similar innovative strategies to achieve the same goal on the commercial side by the end of this year.”

Staff have been focused on driving the improvements and will continue to do so. The city also recognizes that these timelines can still fluctuate if other variables are at play. Changes in permit application volumes, staffing levels, and market activity have the potential to affect plan review timelines positively or negatively before the end of 2024. Throughout the year, the city will continue to monitor progress and prioritize solutions that will help us achieve the permitting timeline goals.

As part of the Denver’s ongoing effort to expand housing availability and choice, the city is looking at potential updates to the Denver Zoning Code, zoning map, and Former Chapter 59 zoning to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in all residential areas of the city. ADUs are self-contained, smaller living spaces that are an extension of an existing property – often called mother-in-law suites and casitas.  

You’re invited to participate in an upcoming virtual town hall to learn more about the proposed zoning code text amendment and what it might mean for your property. The same information will be presented at both town halls.

Town Hall #1 

Thursday, August 8, 6 p.m. 

Virtual meeting via Zoom 

Visit the event page for complete details and to register >> 

Town Hall #2 

Wednesday, August 21, 6 p.m.

Virtual meeting via Zoom 

Visit the event page for complete details and to register >> 

Additionally, a draft of the text amendment will be available for public review and comment in the coming days on the Citywide ADUs project page. 

This proposed zoning code text amendment is sponsored by Councilmembers Sarah Parady (at-large), Chris Hinds (District 10) and Darrell Watson (District 9), in partnership with the Department of Community Planning and Development and Mayor Mike Johnston. It will be complemented by a proposed zoning code map amendment that will ensure properties are rezoned to reflect the goals of the text amendment. The proposal is expected to go to City Council for a vote this fall. 

Just like infrastructure needs maintenance to stay in top condition, the Denver Zoning Code also needs regular upgrades to continue to respond to the needs of the city. The goal of text amendment bundles is to keep our zoning code modern, clear, and user-friendly.

In addition to cleanups and modifications, the 2024 bundle will also help reduce plan review times and simplify code enforcement by:

• clarifying existing standards and procedures,
• simplifying existing development standards,
• reducing requirements, and
• eliminating conflicts with other city codes or state law.

Review and comment on the public review draft >>

As part of the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance, adopted by the City Council in June 2022, affordable housing linkage fees increase each year on July 1 in a phased approach through July 1, 2025, after which time the fees will be increased for inflation annually. The linkage fees go into Denver’s affordable housing fund, which supports permanent housing and supportive services for at-risk residents, low- and moderate-income workforce rental housing, and moderate-income for-sale housing.

Development projects submitted to Community Planning and Development on or after July 1, 2022, are subject to the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance and will use this fee schedule. Projects submitted to Community Planning and Development that are not subject to the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance that had a concept site development plan submitted prior to July 1, 2022, and meet the site development plan approval timeframes specified in the ordinance will still see an increase in linkage fees due to inflation, and those projects will use this fee schedule.

Linkage fees are assessed alongside standard permit fees, all of which are due prior to building permit issuance. See Denver Revised Municipal Code Section 27-153 – Imposition of linkage fee.

Starting July 1, 2024, any quick permit issued based on misrepresentations will be cancelled without a refund or credit. Continued falsification of information used to obtain a quick permit may result in additional penalties including your contractor license being suspended or revoked. See policy ADMIN 131A.

Since March 1, 2023, project scopes that include like-for-like replacement of select gas-fired heating and cooling equipment in existing commercial, industrial, and multi-family buildings (including condominiums) can no longer pull a quick permit. This includes split A/C units/condensing units that serve a heated space, gas-fired forced air heating systems, gas-fired roof top units, and gas-fired potable water heaters. Please see 2022 Denver Energy Code Section C503.3.3 for partial electrification for space heating requirements, and Section C503.4.1 for partial electrification of water heating requirements.

These projects MUST submit a project-specific application and submit either one or two of the following:

• An electrification feasibly report,
• A report prepared by an engineer showing that the equipment is the correct size, or
• Gas leak testing of all piping connected to the gas meter.

Visit www.denvergov.org/quickpermits for detailed information.

View detailed FAQ: "How to apply for like-for-like replacement of select gas-fired heating & cooling equipment in existing commercial buildings"

Watch this 5-minute YouTube tutorial video 

Call for nominations: 2025 Mayor's Design Awards

Since 2005, the Mayor’s Design Awards have honored projects throughout the city for excellence in architecture, urban design and place-making. The awards are presented to Denver homeowners, business owners, nonprofits, artists and others for their creative contributions to Denver’s built environment through excellence and innovation. Many different types of projects are eligible. Previous award winners range from restaurants, galleries and private single-family homes to plazas and other shared public spaces. What each of the projects have in common is the imaginative and innovative way they enhance public spaces and support community. 

Nominations are due Friday, November 1, 2024. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony early next year. To nominate a project, learn more about the Mayor’s Design Awards and see past winners, visit DenverGov.org/MDA.

On June 27, CPD staff toured Nest56 at Denargo Market, located at 2700 Wewatta. The city's Affordable Housing Review Team recently permitted this affordable housing development. 

Nest56 at Denargo Market provides 56 units of supportive housing to transition age youth (18-24) who are at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness, many of whom are transitioning out of Denver's foster care system.

A key component of the development is the on-site delivery of trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate supportive services intended to promote housing stability among youth and aid in the transition to independent living. TGTHR, a Colorado-based nonprofit working to end youth homelessness, is the on-site service provider. The organization notes that an estimated 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ, and a majority of them cite discrimination/family rejection as a contributor to their homelessness.

This major redevelopment will provide immediately accessible employment and housing options (including new units restricted at 80% AMI), providing the future residents of Nest56 with numerous opportunities for economic mobility and housing choice within a single neighborhood.

Community Conversations are a series of community meetings happening across the city to support Denverites to get informed, engaged, and identify points of action on the 2024 Citywide Goals. In alignment with the Affordable Denver goals, Mayor Mike Johnston, in partnership with City Council and city agencies, is starting this work by hosting a series of community discussions. These sessions are designed to create an open dialogue between residents, city officials, and community leaders, ensuring that everyone's voice is heard and valued.

Join the City for the District 10 Community Conversation on Affordable Denver

Thursday, July 18 | 5-6 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.)

Carla Madison Recreation Center | Rooftop Multipurpose Room

Register to attend, seating is limited

Get caught up on last month's news >>

• CPD recently launched a new webpage that shows the estimated times of arrival for construction inspections. The dashboard lists the address, type of inspection and an expected 2-hour window for when inspectors are scheduled to arrive. See the new dashboard >>

• Per Chapter 1 of the Denver Building and Fire Code, building permits that are inactive for 60 days may be closed. CPD will resume the process of closing issued building permits that have been inactive for 120 business days. Customers will be notified when their issued permit has been inactive for 90 business days. At that time, the project team will have 30 business days to request an inspection or ask for an extension. View instructions on how to schedule an inspection >>

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