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Development Standards & Regulations Draft

Development Standards & Regulations Draft

Thank you for your engagement this summer! We have incorporated much of the feedback we got from residents and stakeholders while we took the Development Standards Overhaul draft on the road over the past several months. We now have a new draft ready for review.

Please see the newly updated draft here!

Below are the next major dates in our project timeline. The Study Session and Hearings listed below are open to the public. The public is invited to give spoken comment at the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners Hearings.

  • Planning Commission/Board of County Commissioners Study Session: Monday Sept 21, 2026 @ 5:30 PM in Adams County Government Center Brantner Gulch A
  • Planning Commission Hearing: Thursday, October 22, 2026 @ 6:00 PM in Adams County Government Center hearing room
  • Board of County Commissioners: Tuesday, November 17, 2026 @ 9:30 AM in Adams County Government Center hearing room
  • If adopted, start date of new regs: January 1, 2027

Please note the case number for this project:  PRC2026-00016 . If you wish to give written comment on this project, you may email those comments to Lia Campbell at LCampbell@adamscountyco.gov, until October 2, 2026. If you received a Request for Public Comment/Public Hearing Notice in the mail, please note that your comment period has been extended to October 2, 2026.

For question/concerns/comment on the project, call or email Lia Campbell at (720) 523-6949 or LCampbell@adamscountyco.gov

Please see the newly updated draft here!

You can review individual chapters of the draft by visiting the chapter tabs at the top of the page.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Administration

Chapter 2 - Zone Districts and Land Uses

  • Div. 2-02 Designated Building Types
  • Div. 2-03 Designated Amenity Types
  • Div. 2-04 Designated Development Types
  • Div. 2-05 Principal Use Tables (which uses are allowed where)
  • Div. 2-06 District Dimensional Standards (setbacks, height maximums, etc. for each zone district)
  • Div. 2-07 Special Purpose and Overlay Zone Districts (includes PUD, TOD, Aviation, and others, their uses and dimensional standards)

Chapter 3 - Specific Use Standards

  • These are standards that are specific to certain uses. The divisions are organized by use type.

Chapter 4 - General Development Standards

  • These are general use standards that apply to most development (parking, landscaping, signs, etc.) 
  • Parking Table: Div. 4-02
  • Exterior Building Design Standards: Div. 4-07

Chapter 5 - Subdivision Standards

  • Updates to public land dedication standards and fees can be found in Sec. 5-05. 

Chapter 6 - Roadway Standards and Technical Criteria

Chapter 7 - Access Design and Traffic Requirements

Chapter 8 - Special Service Districts

Chapter 9 - Natural, Agricultural, and Cultural Resource Protection Standards

Chapter 10 - Storm Drainage Design and Stormwater

Chapter 11 - Areas and Activities of State Interest

Chapter 12 - Development Review Bodies

Chapter 13 - Development Review Procedures

  • All review procedures for land use decisions can be found in this Chapter. 

Chapter 14 - Nonconformities

Chapter 15 - Enforcement, Violations, and Remedies

Chapter 16 - Word Usage