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Planning commission debates certified irrigation designer requirement amid affordability concerns
Summary
City staff and commissioners debated whether to remove a new certified irrigation designer (CID) requirement that becomes effective Dec. 21; staff and a housing-affordability task force said the rule adds cost, while water‑conservation staff reported local water savings tied to irrigation audits and urged more data before a decision.
City of Grand Junction planning commissioners spent much of the workshop examining a requirement in the landscape code that irrigation plans be certified by a credential such as the Irrigation Association’s Certified Irrigation Designer (CID) or a WaterSense‑labeled alternative. Staff told the commission the provision becomes effective Dec. 21 — three years after adoption — and that the housing‑affordability code task force has recommended removing it, arguing there are too few certified professionals locally and that the mandate adds cost and time to development reviews.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the issue pits two city priorities against one another — water‑use efficiency and the cost of producing housing, particularly multifamily and affordable units. Several planners and commissioners warned that multifamily projects (where landscaping is commonly common‑area) could see meaningful upfront…
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