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Council approves ordinance allowing phased building permits for public projects to reduce construction delays

5762508 · September 8, 2025

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Summary

Council adopted an ordinance amending permit rules to permit phased building permits for public projects after county staff said the change will prevent costly schedule and material cost overruns; staff used a new fire‑station project as an example of delays that can occur while awaiting local approvals.

Summit County Council voted to amend county permit rules to allow phased (phased/phase) building permits for public projects, a change county staff said will reduce construction delays and avoid cost overruns when certain approvals are not immediately available.

County staff said the amendment to section 105.07 of the county codified ordinances enables the county to issue phased permits for public projects even when downstream local approvals (for example, final design approvals from sewer or health departments) are still pending. Chris Reynolds (financial/accounts staff) explained the change would let public projects begin construction while remaining compliant with ordinance requirements and without jeopardizing grant deadlines or driving up contractor costs.

Why it matters: presenters said current practice in some cases forces projects to wait for sequential approvals, which can delay construction start dates, extend schedules over winter and increase labor and material costs. The county cited a fire‑station and training facility project (a public safety training facility with a burn tower) as an example where permit sequencing led to potential stoppages and added costs.

Details: Staff described a phased approach for public projects that would preserve required reviews while allowing construction activities that do not require the outstanding approval to proceed. Officials said the change is intended for publicly led projects and to avoid labor and material cost escalation and missed grant timelines.

Action: Council suspended rules and adopted the ordinance (late filing 2025‑259) at the meeting. Staff said the change will be incorporated into permitting practice for public projects and used for current projects where timing is critical.

Next steps: county departments will coordinate to implement the phased permit process and apply it to ongoing projects that staff said had been delayed by sequencing requirements.