Denver7 News: Denver’s permitting overhaul

This article originally appeared in Denver7 Local News by Ryan Fish.

Bogged down by backlogs and delays, one owner says he’s “cautiously optimistic the process will become less of a “huge pain.”

DENVER – Sustainable Design Build has been building along the Front range since 2016. But co-owner and general contractor Zach McKendry says he still doesn’t know what to expect while trying to get construction permits approved by the City of Denver, something he calls a “huge pain.”

“Our experience is kind of this ad hoc application of new code… How that code gets applied just seems kind of willy-nilly,” he told Denver7 Friday. “We have a lot of hurdles just on the business side, and then when you introduce all the regulation and the timing through the city, it just creates a really tense relationship.”

Last year, an audit of the city’s residential permitting process found “a lack of consistent, documented processes and unreliable data contributed to longer permit review times.”

Those delays cost developers both time and money.

“We’re currently at 283 days [waiting] for a residential permit,” McKendry said.

This week, the city announced it is now committed to nearly sawing that figure in half with a new, one-stop Permitting Office, combining responsibilities that had been scattered across several departments.

After 180 days in the city’s hands — plus another 30 days for an executive committee to review the holdup — the city will refund developers up to $10,000 in application fees. The commitment is to encourage faster processing of those permits.

“When you submit that proposal, if it’s a complete proposal, we will start a shot clock,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said during a press conference announcing the news on Monday. “This makes Denver, we think, the national model for how get permitting done efficiently — effectively, cheaply, and high quality if we do it well.”

McKendry said he is encouraged but also has his “hesitancies” about the promise.

“I’ve heard a lot of words regarding the city and permitting and our interactions with them,” he said. “We’ve seen very little action that’s been consequential and moved the needle.”

At the same time, McKendry said he understands the scope of the city’s challenge handling so many permits in a timely fashion.

“They’re dealing with a really high volume,” he pointed out. “Denver is growing really fast.”

McKendry said he is hopeful the overhauled process could be the streamlined solution builders have been looking for.

“I would love to see that 180 [day] mark happen,” he said. “We’re really eager and cautiously optimistic to hopefully see some action that that will swing the needle back in the right direction.”

Denver’s new permitting office will launch next month.

This article by Ryan Fish can be found at Denver7.