Aurora launches UDO code audit with consultant, schedules public engagement and developer roundtables

Janine Rastad, director of planning and business development for Aurora City, told the Planning and Economic Development Policy Committee on June 11 that the city has kicked off a consultant-led audit of its development code and will roll out a multi-part public engagement program.

Rastad said the consultant, Multi Studio, has begun a code audit and is coordinating with Brandon Cammarata, planning manager for current planning, on an engagement schedule that includes listening sessions, developer roundtables and educational sessions for public officials. "The project has kicked off," she said.

The engagement program will include three categories: listening sessions for members of the public and targeted, deeper conversations with smaller developers and consultants; developer roundtables to collect feedback on how the code is working and to review topic papers and draft code; and education sessions focused on public officials, including the Planning and Zoning Commission and city council. Rastad said project tours are also planned early and late in the process to inform engagement work.

City staff provided a draft timeline showing initial listening sessions during the code-audit phase, developer roundtables the week of July 17 and again in September, and a draft code released for engagement in November. Planning and Zoning Commission hearings are tentatively scheduled for February with Planning and Economic Development (PED) in January, which staff said would allow council review during the adoption phase.

Council members pressed staff to provide the draft earlier than November so councilors would have time to read and comment. Council Member Bergen, who chaired the meeting, and Council Member Gardner said they wanted to see the draft well before the packet deadline so members could provide meaningful feedback rather than reviewing materials the weekend before a council meeting. Rastad responded that staff will build council one-on-one educational sessions into the schedule and aim to get a draft to PED in November for comment, while also coordinating earlier staff and legal review.

Rastad emphasized that the audit is citywide and will consider differing conditions between infill and greenfield development, and noted the outreach will target neighborhoods that could be affected, including Ward 2. "We want to make sure we're getting information out, because this may impact some neighborhoods thinking infill areas as well as Ward 2," she said.

Next steps listed by staff are completing the code audit, beginning listening sessions and finalizing the engagement timeline.

Questions raised by council members focused on timing and the ability to review draft materials in a way that allows substantive feedback, and on whether the UDO audit will include a zoning review. Staff confirmed the UDO effort includes zoning changes and a broader look at housing standards citywide.