Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Arapahoe County weighs higher parkland standards, dual valuation and 2% commercial assessment
Summary
A consultant update presented to Arapahoe County commissioners recommends raising parkland dedication standards (currently 6 acres/1,000 residents) toward a 10-acre target while keeping an appraisal option, updating per-acre assumed values, and exploring a 2% commercial land assessment; the board favored phasing and biennial review.
Arapahoe County commissioners on Monday reviewed a consultant report recommending an update to the county—land-dedication and cash-in-lieu policy that would raise the county—parkland level of service and revise how per-acre cash payments are calculated.
Consultant Colin McEweedy of Tischler Bice summarized the study and said the county currently collects about 6 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. He said the study——identifies a technical ceiling of up to 18 acres per 1,000 in parts of the western county and about 16 acres per 1,000 in eastern areas, while the national average is roughly 10 acres per 1,000. "Going from 6 acres to 16 or 18 acres would be a 200% increase and, in one way to describe that, would be a shock to the development system," McEweedy said.
Why it matters: the county——has not substantively updated the policy in decades, and current assumed…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
