Broomfield to consider development review streamlining

BROOMFIELD — Broomfield leaders will soon consider a measure that would streamline the city’s development review process by allowing the Planning and Zoning Commission to approve certain projects that otherwise would require a public hearing before Broomfield City Council.

The ordinance, to be introduced Tuesday prior to a public hearing later this year, would apply to site development plans and amendments under seven acres, urban renewal site plans and amendments under seven acres, final plats, and uses by special review. According to a city memo, these criteria would apply to roughly one-third of applications submitted.

Broomfield City Council would reserve the right to call up any project approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission for additional review and a public hearing. Major projects would still go through the current process of public hearing by both boards. 

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Broomfield officials, according to city documents, believe the measure would benefit both developers, who could move through the approval process faster; and City Council members, who have had agendas bogged down by development plans as Broomfield has grown. 

The city estimates the approval process for qualifying projects could be trimmed by as many as six weeks. 

“Reducing the development review process timeline would allow developers to move forward

on desirable projects sooner and could reduce staff time spent preparing projects for each step in the review process,” according to a city memo. “In addition, reducing the number of development reviews discussed at City Council meetings can reduce City Council agenda time utilized on development review projects.”

In addition to changing the project review process, the measure to be introduced Tuesday would change the makeup of the Planning and Zoning Commission. The body would be split into two boards: the Neighborhood Board of Adjustment to hear variance requests and appeals to the building and construction codes, and the Land Use Review Commission to review, recommend and approve land development applications.

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