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Douglas County approves zoning amendment allowing option to skip separate Site Improvement Plan for some townhome projects
Summary
The board voted unanimously to approve DR2026‑002, an amendment to Section 27 that permits applicants for certain single‑family attached (townhome) developments to bypass a separate Site Improvement Plan if engineering, building and fire safety details are provided at subdivision review, an option intended to reduce cost and paperwork.
The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved zoning resolution amendment DR2026‑002 on Tuesday, changing Section 27 to allow an optional pathway that can eliminate a separate Site Improvement Plan (SIP) for certain single‑family attached developments when sufficiently detailed engineering, building and fire‑safety information is provided at the subdivision stage.
"The proposed amendment would simplify the development process," Eric Pavlinik, representing community development staff, said during his presentation. "This provides an option to eliminate the need for an SIP when all engineering, building and fire code and other life safety issues are addressed during the subdivision process." He noted the Planning Commission heard the proposal on 08/03/2026 and recommended approval 6–0.
Commissioners pressed staff on whether the change removes oversight. Commissioner Van Winkle said, "So we're not getting rid of we're not it's not not just Wild Wild West, build whatever the heck you want. There's still gonna be very strong, thorough assessments being done." Chair (speaker 1) added a cost perspective, saying the amendment is "cutting tens of thousands of dollars out of the cost of a townhome." Commissioners framed the amendment as part of broader "red tape reduction" work intended to reduce duplicative process while maintaining safety reviews.
The board opened the amendment to public comment and received none before moving to a vote. Commissioner Van Winkle moved to approve DR2026‑002; the motion was seconded and the amendment passed with unanimous aye votes. The board and staff said the change provides another option for developers, not a mandatory removal of SIPs; the SIP process remains available if applicants choose it.
The approval is intended to speed development and reduce some costs for attached housing types—identified by staff and commissioners as important to workforce housing production—while leaving life‑safety review responsibilities at subdivision review.
