Page 11 - Denver, CO Adaptive Reuse Program

Overlays
Several communities limit programs to geographically designated
areas, as overlays. The overlay is established through a convention-
al re-zoning or neighborhood plan process.

Thresholds
Some communities use thresholds for determining when relaxed
and expedited processes can apply. Thresholds include building
age and size; sometimes these thresholds are combined with the
overlay tool.

Tiered permitting
Many communities provide different degrees of flexibility in terms
of administration:
1. Staff-level permitting (in which a range of flexibility is de-
fined for specific topics)
2. Hearing officer or Zoning Administrator (also with specific
areas of flexibility defined)
3. Expedited hearing (before the Planning Commission or
Council when administrative flexibility is not an option)
4. Formal, conventional hearing before a Board of Adjustment
(for the most complex projects)

Special permitting teams
In some cases, a team, which is comprised of one member from
each of the key permitting departments, reviews projects together
and they make coordinated decisions in one meeting.

Team problem solving
Some communities provide an opportunity for an applicant to re-
quest a “scoping review,” a problem-solving design session with a
special permitting team. Other communities use a standing devel-
opment review committee for this task.

Adaptive Reuse Strategy Paper 7