Denver mayor establishes permitting office to expedite building
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Mayor Mike Johnston signs an executive order establishing a Denver Permitting Office. Photo: Esteban L. Hernandez/Axios
Mayor Mike Johnston on Monday established a permitting office focused on expediting and improving coordination for building approvals in the city.
The big picture: Johnston created the new office through an executive order, marking the first time he's used the unilateral action since being elected in July 2023.
- The Denver Permitting Office plans to start reviewing permit applications in mid-May, the Denver Post reports.
- The announcement unfolded downtown next to the Urban Egg's newest location behind Denver Union Station, which Johnston said participated in an express permitting pilot program.
Why it matters: The city's permitting system has long faced backlogs.
- The new office represents a significant step toward the mayor's goal to reduce Denver's tedious permitting process, and if successful, could spur more local development, including housing and commercial projects.
How it works: The office will bring together 280 city staff members overseen by a three-person team, including the city's first permitting office director, Jill Jennings Golich.
- Staff will come from seven existing agencies, including the city's planning, transportation and infrastructure offices, and the Fire Department.
- They will remain employed in their respective offices, and be pulled into permitting efforts by a case manager to oversee each project from start to finish.
The intrigue: The new office vows to complete application approvals within 180 days, which includes site development plans and applicable building permits.
- If an application isn't finalized within 180 days, plus an additional 45-day resolution window, the city will refund an applicant up to $10,000 from the permitting fee.
- Johnston said this is the first time the city has a set deadline for permit processing, per the Post.
What he's saying: "This right now is going to make that work faster, easier and cheaper," Johnston said Monday, adding the creation of the office comes at no additional cost to the city given the unique staffing plan.
- The mayor said he thinks the city could become a national model for getting high-quality permitting completed.