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Aurora council approves UDO change to allow light manufacturing near Buckley Space Force Base
Summary
The council unanimously approved an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance to permit light manufacturing in the Accident Potential Zone near Buckley Space Force Base, add certain residential accessory uses and set a 38-foot residential height limit; staff said Buckley was consulted and supportive after two items were removed from the draft.
Aurora City Council unanimously approved ordinance 2025-103 on Nov. 3, 2025, amending portions of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that regulate the Accident Potential Zone (APZ) around Buckley Space Force Base.
Planning and Business Development staff presented the proposal to reintroduce light manufacturing as a permitted use in the APZ, clarify dimensional standards, add several accessory residential uses and add a 38-foot maximum height for residential uses. "The Planning and Business Development Department recommends amending the Unified Development Ordinance, UDO, to promote additional development opportunities in the Accident Potential Zone," said Jeremiah Fettig, the department presenter.
Staff told council members no properties would become nonconforming under the change and that the proposal is intended to preserve public health and safety while allowing development on underused industrial parcels. Fettig said Buckley Space Force Base was a referral agency, provided comments and that staff removed two items from the original draft that Buckley had questioned. "Buckley was supportive of adding light manufacturing back into the UDO," Fettig said, and staff anticipates a fuller APZ update at a future date.
A representative of Titan Development, Sal Perdomo, told the council Titan is the contract purchaser of a 76-acre vacant parcel in the APZ and urged approval so the site could be developed with light industrial and commercial uses and deliver jobs to Aurora. "We're in full support of this proposed text amendment to permissively allow the light manufacturing use within the APZ Zone district," Perdomo said.
Council members asked whether the changes would interfere with base operations; staff said there would be no change to Buckley operations and that uses where large numbers gather (for example, a large day center) would not be permitted per the Department of Defense installation manual. After public comment and staff responses, Council Member Lawson moved to approve item 11a; the motion passed unanimously.
The ordinance revision is intended to align the UDO with prior zoning practice that permitted light manufacturing before a 2019 update and to provide clarity in dimensional and use standards for properties adjacent to the base. The council did not attach additional conditions to the approval; staff noted Buckley’s formal comments are included in the meeting backup and that a broader APZ review is anticipated.
