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Durango council approves fast‑track review to meet Prop 123 and speed affordable housing approvals
Summary
The City Council approved a land‑use code amendment to offer 90‑day fast‑track review for qualifying affordable housing projects to preserve eligibility for Colorado’s Proposition 123 funding, while retaining public hearings and approval standards. Staff will prioritize concurrent review and allow limited extensions.
Durango’s City Council on May 5 adopted a text amendment to the land use and development code intended to accelerate approval of qualifying affordable housing projects and keep the city eligible for Colorado’s Proposition 123 funding.
Brian Devine, the city’s housing policy and planning administrator, told the council the measure requires a decision within 90 days after a complete application for projects that meet minimum affordability thresholds set by the state; the code also incorporates the state’s allowed extensions. “To remain eligible for state funding, jurisdictions must enact a process providing certain projects approval or denial within 90 days,” Devine said.
The ordinance preserves existing approval standards and public input: council members emphasized the change focuses on the timing and predictability of city review rather than removing hearings or altering substantive standards. The amendment adds two explicit incentives: prioritized staff review for qualifying proposals and concurrent review of multiple permit streams so applicants do not face separate 90‑day clocks for each required permit.
Devine said the city’s goals were to maintain Proposition 123 compliance, create a clear, binding incentive for developers, preserve public input, and retain flexibility through an administrator determination that could broaden eligibility if capacity allows. He described the administrator determination as a limited tool, usable only when staff capacity exists and when proposed expansions align with adopted city plans.
Council discussion focused on predictability for developers and lenders, the effect of required external reviews, and the realistic number of projects likely to use the program. Devine noted the 90‑day clock begins when an application is “complete and technically sufficient” and that the ordinance explicitly allows extensions for required external agency reviews or revisions requested by city staff.
Council voted unanimously to approve the amendment and set a delayed effective date to allow for state compliance review and staff training. Final reading is scheduled for May 19 with an effective date proposed for June 30.
What happens next: staff will submit the ordinance for the state’s Prop 123 compliance review, begin internal training, and monitor early use of the program. Developers and applicants who want the predictability of the 90‑day process should plan for a high‑quality, approvable initial submission to minimize extension requests.
