Land Use or Development

Land Use and Development

Use this process for:

Subdivisions
Planned developments
Rezoning and land-use applications
Commercial development sites
Multi-lot residential developments
New or modified private roads
Projects submitted through El Paso County’s development review system

El Paso County Planning and Community Development manages land-use and development applications in unincorporated El Paso County. Black Forest Fire Rescue reviews applicable projects for fire protection, wildfire resilience, and emergency-response considerations.

IMPORTANT
Land-use approval does not constitute building-permit approval. Before a building permit can be issued, all applicable BFFR requirements must be completed. This includes payment of impact fees and CWRC fees, required forms and documents, and completion of required reviews, inspections, or corrections.

Land-Use and Development Process

Step 1: Contact BFFR Early

Applicants are encouraged to contact BFFR during the earliest stages of site planning.

Early coordination can help identify requirements affecting:

Site layout
Emergency apparatus access
Road and driveway design
Turnarounds and grades
Emergency access and evacuation routes
Firefighting water supply
Hydrants, cisterns, and dry hydrants
Fire-flow requirements
Addressing
Fire-protection systems
Structure hardening
Defensible space
Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code compliance

Designing around these requirements early can reduce revisions and delays later in the development process.

VIEW BFFR FIRE PREVENTION AND COMPLIANCE INFORMATION

Step 2: Submit the Application to El Paso County

Begin the land-use or development application through El Paso County Planning and Community Development and the Electronic Development Application Review Program, commonly called EDARP.

EL PASO COUNTY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

SUBMIT OR VIEW AN EDARP APPLICATION

Step 3: Agency Review

El Paso County distributes the application to applicable reviewing agencies, including BFFR when the property is within the Black Forest Fire Rescue Protection District.

Applicants generally do not need to submit a separate copy of the same land-use application unless requested by BFFR. However, BFFR may request additional technical information or supporting documents.

Step 4: Provide Fire-Protection Information

Depending on the project, BFFR may request:

Site and development plans
Road, driveway, grade, and turnaround details
Emergency-access and evacuation plans
Fire-flow calculations
Water-supply plans
Hydrant, cistern, or dry-hydrant plans
Addressing plans
Fire-protection-system information
Wildfire hazard and mitigation information
Defensible-space and vegetation-management plans
Proposed exterior construction materials
Other technical documentation needed to evaluate fire and life safety

Certain projects may require a comprehensive fire-protection report prepared by a fire-protection engineer licensed as a Professional Engineer in Colorado.

The report and plans must demonstrate compliance with applicable land-development, engineering, fire-code, access, water-supply, structure-hardening, addressing, and fire-protection requirements.

Step 5: Address CWRC Requirements

The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, or CWRC, may affect site planning and future construction within designated Wildland-Urban Interface areas.

CWRC requirements may address:

Structure-hardening standards
Exterior construction materials
Defensible space
Landscaping and vegetation
Accessory structures
Fencing near regulated structures
Site access and identification

CHECK THE CWRC PROPERTY MAP

LEARN ABOUT CWRC REQUIREMENTS

Builders, developers, contractors, and property owners must complete the applicable CWRC process before permit clearance. This includes submitting the required compliance form, paying the applicable fee, and completing required reviews, inspections, or corrections.

DOWNLOAD THE CWRC CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE FORM

VIEW CWRC BUILDER AND CONTRACTOR DOCUMENTS

Step 6: Plan for Impact Fees

BFFR impact fees apply to qualifying new residential and nonresidential development within the District.

Impact fees are assessed during the building-permit process based on the applicable development type and square footage. BFFR determines the fee and emails an invoice. Applicants should not calculate or submit payment independently.

For multi-lot residential developments, the applicable impact-fee documentation and payment must be completed for each qualifying house or project.

For nonresidential development, BFFR will determine the applicable classification using the total gross floor or gross building area.

The applicable impact fee must be paid in full before BFFR will approve the project for building-permit issuance.

VIEW THE BFFR IMPACT FEE PROCESS

VIEW THE CURRENT BFFR FEE SCHEDULE

Step 7: Respond to Review Comments

The applicant and project team must respond to comments from BFFR and other reviewing agencies and revise the project documents as required.

All BFFR review comments must be resolved before BFFR can recommend approval of the applicable land-use or development application.

BFFR does not support waivers or variances that negatively affect:

Emergency access or evacuation
Firefighting water supply
Structure hardening
Defensible space
Addressing
Required fire-protection systems
The safety of residents, firefighters, or other emergency responders

Step 8: Obtain Land-Use Approval

Complete the El Paso County development review and approval process.

Land-use approval does not replace:

Subdivision or site-plan requirements
Building permits
Commercial fire plan review
BFFR impact-fee requirements
CWRC review, fees, forms, or inspections
Other required agency approvals

Before Building Permits Can Be Issued

For future residential or commercial construction, all applicable BFFR requirements must be completed before permit issuance.

This may include:

Submission of impact-fee documentation
Payment of the impact fee in full
Submission of the CWRC Contractor Compliance Form
Payment of the applicable CWRC fee
Completion of required BFFR reviews and inspections
Resolution of required corrections
Satisfaction of access, water-supply, addressing, and fire-protection requirements

BFFR will not provide permit clearance until all applicable fees have been paid and required documentation and review items have been completed.

Fees

BFFR’s adopted fee schedule includes:

Residential and nonresidential impact-fee rates
CWRC Class 1 and Class 2 fees
Reinspection fees
References to applicable commercial and subdivision plan-review fees
Other District permits, inspections, and service fees

VIEW THE CURRENT BFFR FEE SCHEDULE

Fees are subject to change. BFFR will confirm the applicable fees based on the project type and scope.

Questions?

BFFR Requirements, Impact Fees, and CWRC

Phone: 719-495-4300
Email: Fielding.Lucas@bffire.org

CWRC Review and Inspections