Development Review Phases#
Conversations with City Staff#
Conceptual Design Reviews (CDRs)#
When someone has an idea to build something new or to use a piece of land in a new way, they can sign up for a free consultation with City staff in a Conceptual Design Review meeting. At the meeting, City staff from several departments will offer advice, including what rules the project would need to follow.
After the meeting, City staff will share what City rules the project would need to follow. They will also include instructions on how to submit a development review application so they can start gathering everything they need to build their project. The City does not approve or deny development at this point.
The City holds around 90-110 Conceptual Design Review meetings a year. Somewhere around half of the project ideas we hear will not move forward. Those that do move forward will be equipped with a better understanding of the City’s codes, policies and community vision.
Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs)#
For more complex or larger proposals requiring a greater level of collaboration and problem solving, the person or group with the project idea can request and pay for more detailed advice from City staff before submitting their development review application. This is called a Preliminary Design Review.
Residents can find information about the ideas up for review on our website, but the meetings are not open to the public.
Conversations with the Public#
Neighborhood Meetings#
After their Conceptual Design Review or Preliminary Design Review, the City may require the person with the project idea to hold a meeting with interested Fort Collins residents. If a neighborhood meeting is needed, they must hold the meeting at least 10 days before they are allowed to submit a development review application.
Larger impact projects, annexations, rezonings and additions of permitted use all require at least one neighborhood meeting. The Fort Collins Planning Department collaborates with the Neighborhood Services Department to host these meetings for the public to attend.
What is the purpose of a neighborhood meeting?
The City of Fort Collins knows that development can have a meaningful impact on neighbors who live, work and play nearby. Because of this, when someone wants to build something new in the city, we often require a neighborhood meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to give the public an opportunity to:
- Learn about the project
- Ask questions about the project
- Share their feedback on the project
Reviewing the Application#
Once the pre-application conversations are done, someone with an idea for a new building or land use can officially submit an application to get approval from the City to turn their ideas into a new development. They will need to create more detailed plans, including technical documents regarding the engineering, architecture and environment on the land. They are now considered a Development Review applicant.
City staff, led by the Planning Department, review the plans carefully to make sure they meet our rules. Many different departments also review the plans to make sure they adhere to their own standards. A full list of departments involved in Development Review is here.
City staff returns the plans with a list of changes that need to be made in order to follow the City's rules. The Applicant fixes their plans and sends them back to the City. This happens again and again until the plan meets all the rules, including:
- The Land Use Code,
- The Municipal Code This link opens in a new browser tab,
- The Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards This link opens in a new browser tab,
- Neighborhood, subarea, and corridor plans,
- We also enforce some county, state and federal laws.
| Basic Development Review (BDR) | Type 1 Administrative Review | Type 2 Commission Review |
Other Types of Review |
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Basic Development Review (BDR) is a process to review development proposals which require quick review times and/or have small impacts on the surrounding area. They are approved by the Community Development and Neighborhood Services Department Director or their designee |
For projects which are slightly larger, more complex and may have more impact on the surrounding area, the City routs them through a Type 1 review, which includes more requirements for the submitted materials. Type 1 projects are decided on by a Hearing Officer | For large, complex and potentially more impactful projects, the City routs them through the most intensive review. These projects must be decided by a group of volunteer residents appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission. |
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| View current BDRs | View current Type 1 Proposals | View current Type 2 Proposals |
The Approval Decision#
Once the application has been reviewed by all the necessary departments and other groups, City Planning will send it to a decision maker who will be the last eyes on it before either approving it or denying it. Decision makers can also approve the proposal with conditions or modifications and ask the applicant to make changes after the approval. The decision maker has to answer one main question in order to approve a project: Does this project meet all the requirements of the Fort Collins Land Use Code.
There are different decision makers depending on the type of project.
| Basic Development Review | Type 1 Proposals | Type 2 proposals | Requests outside the current Land Use Code |
| The Director of Community Development and Neighborhood Services or their designee | A third-party hearing officer | The Planning and Zoning Commission | City Council |
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Our Promise to Residents
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Our Promise to Residents
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Our Promise to Residents
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Our Promise to Residents
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| View BDR decisions | View Type 1 decisions | View Type 2 decisions | View City Council hearings |
Final Development Plan Review (FDP)#
If a new land use has been approved, the project plans will need to meet more rules for very technical details, such as engineering standards.
City staff will check the plans and return edits to the applicant. This will happen again and again until the plan meets all the rules.
Final Recording#
The end of the Development Review process is marked by recording the approved project with the City and County. The applicants will be held to what is recorded as they work to build their idea.
Public Infrastructure#
Development projects often add to the public infrastructure in Fort Collins by adding new roads, installing new utilities, creating places for stormwater to drain, and more. These are usually built first.
Building Permits#
The City's Building Services Department takes over the process once Development Review is complete. The applicant will need to submit even more detailed plans for their idea and a plan reviewer will check that it follows the federal, state and city building codes.
Once it does, the City can issue a permit for the work. Only once a permit is issued can construction begin.
Building Inspections#
At this point, the applicant can begin constructing their idea. The City's job is to make sure they are following the plans which have been approved in Development Review and Building Review. To do this, building inspectors visit the construction site regularly.
Once construction is complete, the inspectors need to sign off on the new development before it can be used for its intended purpose.
Development Review Applicant Information#
Do you have an idea for a new land use? Get started by applying for a pre-application review meeting. Learn more about what you can expect as a development review applicant on our applicant webpage