{"id":1607,"date":"2026-06-15T15:03:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T15:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=1607"},"modified":"2026-06-15T15:03:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T15:03:39","slug":"denver-city-officials-and-auditors-office-cite-improvements-a-year-after-setting-up-permitting-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=1607","title":{"rendered":"Denver city officials \u2014 and auditor\u2019s office \u2014 cite improvements a year after setting up permitting office"},"content":{"rendered":"
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About\u00a014 months after Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order creating the Denver Permitting Office, city officials and a watchdog agency say it has made strides toward improving a system that has long been a scourge for developers.<\/p>\n

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In April 2025, Johnston vowed that if the city took more than 180 days \u2014 or about six months \u2014 to process a construction application, it would refund the developer up to $10,000 in fees.<\/p>\n

Since then, the city hasn\u2019t had to pay back any developers, according to the city\u2019s Department of Community Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

\u201cCollaboration across all of our teams and departments is better than I\u2019ve ever seen it,\u201d said Jill Jennings Golich, the director of the new permitting office. \u201cThe review times have improved significantly. We\u2019re over 90% for almost every review discipline for on-time reviews. A few years ago, some of them were in the 60s.\u201d<\/p>\n

A graphic produced by the office shows the city completing an increasing portion of the permit reviews on time. In 2023, about 57% of commercial project reviews were considered \u201con time.\u201d In 2026 thus far, that figure is 88%.<\/p>\n

Two years after releasing a critical review of the department\u2019s permitting process, the Denver Auditor\u2019s Office praised some of the latest improvements in a follow-up audit of residential permitting this spring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city made positive changes, demonstrating how powerful public engagement can make a difference when the city values people\u2019s concerns,\u201d Auditor Tim O\u2019Brien said in a recent news release.<\/p>\n

Auditors highlighted that the new office had clarified which information applicants needed for their requests. City officials also created a formal training plan for employees who review residential plans.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor example, new guidelines specify residential plan-review staff response emails should avoid acronyms, answer all applicants\u2019 questions, and reply to applicants within 48 hours of receipt,\u201d according to the auditor\u2019s news release.<\/p>\n

Before the new office\u2019s creation, large-scale housing and commercial projects had to pass through reviews by seven city departments before getting final approval \u2014 the Department of Community Planning and Development, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Denver Parks and Recreation, the Fire Department, the Department of Housing Stability, the Department of Excise and Licenses (now Licensing and Consumer Protection), and the Department of Public Health and Environment.<\/p>\n

The process could take more than two years.<\/p>\n

While developers still need permits from the various agencies, the new office works to make sure all of them have streamlined processes and work together, so that applicants have an easier time navigating the system.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are responsible for ensuring that the system as a whole is transparent, is effective and is collaborative with our customers so that they, ideally, aren\u2019t having to understand the various pieces and parts and teams,\u201d Jennings Golich said.<\/p>\n

Applicants get a \u201cproject champion\u201d to help them navigate the permitting process. The three-person permitting office also has an in-person counter in the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building near Civic Center to answer questions. It\u2019s open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.<\/p>\n

The city previously didn\u2019t have any deadline for when permit applications should be completed.<\/p>\n

Ted Leighty, the CEO of the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver, said its members represent a small portion of recent permits issued by Denver but have reported that the process is \u201cmoving in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore importantly, the city appears to be listening to concerns regarding the process and timelines, and the impact these issues have on housing costs,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cWe are hopeful the city will continue working collaboratively with builders to further improve the permitting process while reducing delays and additional costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Construction permits are required for new buildings, buildouts and remodeling.<\/p>\n

A public dashboard for the city\u2019s plan review times shows that it takes, on average, 244 days for major commercial review plans to be approved and 212 days, on average, for major residential projects. That includes the time the application is in the hands of the applicant, Jennings Golich said. The city\u2019s goal of 180 days includes only the time a permit application is being processed by the city.<\/p>\n

So far, 0.5% of the projects with open permits since the new permitting office was formed have taken more than 150 days for the city to review, said Alexandra Foster, a spokesperson for the planning department.<\/p>\n

Reviews for four projects have lasted longer than the 180-day target, she said. Three of those projects were then resolved by a review board within 30 extra days, precluding the repayment of fees. One of the projects was still being reviewed by that board.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve had great success,\u201d Jennings Golich said. \u201cThere is still more work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more E-bike cyclist died while trying to elude officers, Denver police say<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s Denver Permitting Office has made strides toward improving a system that has long been a scourge of delays for developers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1606,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nDenver city officials \u2014 and auditor\u2019s office \u2014 cite improvements a year after setting up permitting office - Colorado Springs Moverss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=1607\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Denver city officials \u2014 and auditor\u2019s office \u2014 cite improvements a year after setting up permitting office - 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