Development, Plan Review, and Code Enforcement
Welcome to the development page where you can find information for residential and commercial projects. Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue serves the Town of Bennett, Watkins, Unincorporated Adams County, and Unincorporated Arapahoe County, and works with all three jurisdictions for building and development. Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue has adopted the 2018 International Fire Code (IFC). Each jurisdiction in our District adopts model codes with or without amendments, which we follow and enforce for all development occurring in our district.
The 2018 IFC establishes minimum roadway and driveway requirements. Arapahoe County adopted Appendix R for residential projects, in lieu of the IFC requirements, and we enforce those guidelines and rules for the applicants in Arapahoe County. Please be aware that the guidelines or requirements for your project may vary depending on what county or municipality you are building in, however, the submission process is the same. Informational documents and submission information can be located at the bottom of this page in PDF format.
The following information below includes information regarding new residential developments, and what the process is to complete your project.
Beginning Stages
1. The applicant (homeowner and/or builder) will need to contact whichever jurisdiction they are planning on building in. (Adams, Arapahoe, or Town of Bennett).
2. The applicant should also contact Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue and inform us of the new project in our District. Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue will work directly with the applicant to assist them through the submittal process for the fire department plan review.
3. The applicant will need to complete the required fire department submission documents and turn them into the Fire District at the main office located at 355 4th Street in Bennett or via email. Electronic submissions are preferred.
Application Process
4. The applicant will need to provide the following documents for all projects (additional plans or submittals may be needed based on project type and scope):
- Fire Service Application
- Submit Fee Payment (fees will vary depending on the project)
- Submit a detailed site plan including all dimensions, measurements, road base content, gates, etc.
- Adams County road requirements (IFC, Appendix D)
- Arapahoe County road requirements (Appendix R)
5. Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue will review your site plan once submitted. All site plans will need to be approved before moving forward with your project. Please be aware that if you receive an email back stating that your site plan is not approved, it is typically due to incorrect, inadequate, or missing dimensions on the site plan.
6. Once your site plan is approved and all other documents are turned in to the main office, you will receive a letter of transmittal that you will need to take back to whichever county or municipality that you will be building in.
7. Once the county or municipality receives your letter of approval, you will obtain a building permit from them after completing their requirements.
Final Steps
8. Once you have completed your project, you will need to contact Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue directly and schedule a final inspection. This final inspection is separate from the final inspection completed by the county and will include an inspection of your new driveway to ensure that the dimensions comply with fire code as stated on your approved site plan, verification that your address is posted and visible from the road with the proper dimensions and that your road base is class 6 or better with the proper depth and compaction required. If required for your project, we will also verify that a residential sprinkler system was installed and properly inspected and approved.
9. Once all requirements are met and your final inspection is completed successfully, we will sign off on your permit so that you may finalize the county process and obtain your certificate of occupancy.
For commercial projects:
The process for submitting for plan review is similar to above, requiring an application, plans, and applicable fees, however, there may be additional requirements or submittal documents needed to fully capture the scope of the project, building type, and use or occupancy. Commercial projects often have additional code-related requirements (i.e. fire suppression or detection systems, water supply cistern, etc.) beyond those required for a residence, which will be reviewed at the time of submission.