Douglas County officials on Monday unveiled a Red Tape Reduction Action Plan aimed at streamlining permitting and development reviews to position the county as “the best place in America to invest.”

The plan, developed through a partnership between the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners and the Douglas County Economic Development Corp., is designed to make it easier for companies to invest, expand and create jobs locally.

County officials said the initiative comes as business leaders across Colorado have expressed concerns about increasing regulatory complexity, lengthy permitting timelines and uncertainty surrounding project approvals.

“A delayed project can mean additional carrying costs, delayed hiring and deferred operations,” Douglas County Economic Development Corp. CEO Ellie Reynolds said. “And we realize that time is money.”

The action plan was developed over several months by a task force that included county staff, developers, economic development officials, utility providers, public safety representatives and business leaders.

Officials said the plan focuses on six major initiatives: streamlining processes, improving customer experience, building service excellence, strengthening partnerships, measuring performance and increasing transparency.

A key component of the strategy is the county’s new RAPID Response program, which establishes target review timelines for commercial development projects. 

Under the program, new commercial construction projects would have a target county review time of 64 business days, while commercial site redevelopment projects would have a target review time of 30 business days. Commercial tenant improvement projects would have review timelines ranging from 15 to 21 business days, depending on the scope of work.

County leaders emphasized that the effort is not intended to reduce development, safety or infrastructure standards but rather eliminate administrative inefficiencies and duplicative processes. 

“It’s not that we’re fast-tracking anything,” Reynolds said. “We’re taking away hurdles that create that red tape.”

Officials said implementation is already underway. The county has reduced initial application review timelines by about 20%, or roughly 10 business days, through improved coordination between departments. 

The plan also calls for expanded use of technology and artificial intelligence tools. Officials said AI applications could help businesses navigate county regulations and answer questions outside regular business hours. 

“Our goal is simple,” County Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle said. “To make Douglas County the best place in America to invest, to build and to create jobs while preserving the high standards and quality of life our residents expect.”

The plan also includes long-term goals such as creating a centralized online hub for permits, fees, forms and project tracking, eventually evolving into what officials described as a “1 Door, 1 Application” process.

To measure progress, the county plans to establish performance dashboards and publish quarterly reports tracking permit activity, review times, backlog levels and other key metrics.