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County proposes clarifications to "location and extent" review, asks school districts to notify planning staff
Summary
Public Works proposed code updates to the county’s location‑and‑extent review process, adding exemptions, formalizing planning commission reporting and asking school districts to notify the county when charter or public‑school siting applications are filed.
Arapahoe County staff proposed changes Thursday to the county’s “location and extent” (L&E) review process — the statutory review by which public utilities, roads, schools and similar public facilities are submitted to county planning commission review.
Planning staff told the Board of County Commissioners the updates would add a clearer list of exemptions, formalize the planning commission’s reporting responsibilities and request that school districts notify the county when charter‑school or public‑school siting applications are filed so county review can occur in parallel with school hearings.
The proposed changes are intended to reduce duplicative studies for applicants and give the county earlier opportunity to flag concerns about siting and access. Staff noted L&E reviews are required under state law for public ways, grounds, buildings and utilities, but counties historically vary in how they implement the statute. The draft changes lean on practices used in peer counties while adding a formal exception list for routine utility extensions and projects already reviewed in an approved planned unit development (PUD).
Public Works said the draft will also give staff discretion to tailor documentary requirements (for example, topographic intervals and traffic study requirements) so large, county‑level projects are not forced into unnecessarily detailed submittals and small, low‑impact submittals are not burdened by large studies.
Commissioners asked about environmental review language and whether the county should require a basic environmental impact summary for some projects. Staff said they will refine the draft language to require applicants to identify likely environmental, social or community impacts and propose mitigation measures where appropriate, without prescribing a full federal‑scale environmental impact study (EIS) for routine applications.
Ending: Staff will refine the draft ordinance and outreach material and bring the amendments for public comment and hearings at the planning commission prior to a final hearing before the board.
