Consultants tell Grand Junction to tighten application completeness, project management to meet Prop 123 90‑day deadline

Christian Vaughn, a manager at consulting firm Baker Tilly, told the Grand Junction Planning Commission that the firm found opportunities to speed reviews and improve predictability as the city prepares to comply with Proposition 123 (codified as Article 32 of the Colorado Revised Statutes).

Baker Tilly’s review focused on the law’s expedited‑review provision, which applies to housing projects that contain 50% or more affordable units and requires “a final decision on approval or denial [to] be made within 90 days of a complete application submission,” Vaughn said.

The consultants said their work produced 32 recommendations aimed at moving the city toward that 90‑day standard while improving review for other project types. Elaine Costello, a Baker Tilly consultant, summarized the recommendations as changes to process, people, regulation interpretation and technology: “we came up with 32 recommendations,” Costello said during the presentation.

Why this matters: Article 32 requires municipalities to demonstrate compliance by Nov. 1, 2026 if they want to remain eligible for state incentives tied to…