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Commerce City convenes developers for roundtable as staff readies 40% fee‑cut proposal
Summary
At a Commerce City study session, staff said it will propose a 40% reduction in many development review and impact fees on May 18 and outlined Operation Lightspeed changes to speed plan review; developers urged predictability, relief on right‑of‑way permit charges, and PUD flexibility.
Commerce City Mayor Pro Tem Susan Noble convened a study session with the local development community to discuss fees, the development review process, and other concerns. Mike Sutherland, the city’s director of community development, said the meeting was a listening session and that staff will bring a proposal to council on May 18 to cut certain development review and impact fees by about 40% while a separate consultant study of roadway impact fees will follow this summer.
Developers pressed staff for more predictability and faster approvals, saying late review comments and lengthy permit timelines have made some projects uneconomic. Mark Campbell, president of Southwestern Property Corp., said fees on a recent 180‑unit apartment project totaled “The fees were 3,400,000,” and described another project where fees rose to roughly “6.8,” testimony he used to illustrate how rising costs and falling rents can kill a deal. “Time kills all deals,” Campbell added, urging faster permitting and clearer up‑front comments from review agencies.
Staff outlined Operation Lightspeed, a consolidated‑review program that adds a completeness check that includes fire and water reviewers and schedules meetings with applicants after the first review to walk through comments. Jim, a development‑review staffer, said the post‑first‑review meetings are intended to reduce resubmittals: “We’re gonna sit down and go down the list of comments … I would hope we wouldn’t have one more submittal,” he said.
Several builders pressed for specific fee and permitting fixes. Mark Armstrong of KB Home asked that right‑of‑way permit fees assessed at final inspection for minor repairs be waived for active developments; staff said public works is reviewing those fees. Daniel Frank and others asked for clarity on whether the May 18 package will include roadway impact fees; staff said May 18 will include the proposed 40% reductions for most categories but that roadway impact fees will be handled after a separate nexus study this summer.
On zoning and code implementation, Sutherland said the city adopted a new 2025 land development code and is preparing a legislative rezoning process to implement it citywide. He said staff will do public outreach this summer, start public hearings in September and aim to complete legislative rezoning by November, adding that overlay districts can preserve existing PUD terms where appropriate.
Developers also raised broader market concerns: Scott Carlson and others warned that unpredictable changes to longstanding PUD rules can threaten the viability of long‑term projects and recommended allowing portions of large PUDs to opt into the new code while leaving other portions under existing PUD rules. Jason Rogers, the city manager, and staff said they will meet individually with property owners and consider code amendments where appropriate.
Heather Vidlock, deputy director of community development, closed the study‑session portion with a staff summary that echoed participant priorities: continue fee reductions where feasible, pursue the roadway impact‑fee study, implement Lightspeed completeness checks and post‑first‑review meetings, and keep outreach on rezoning and code updates. She said staff will circulate detailed meeting notes and that participants who did not get to speak should email follow‑up comments.
The study session produced no formal council action. Staff will present the fee‑reduction proposal to the full council on May 18; roadway impact‑fee recommendations are expected later this summer following the consultant nexus study.
