Grand Junction, CO Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- GJMC § 43.01.060
- Fees covered
- sewer PIF, water PIF, development impact fees
- Application review deadline
- 45 days (§ 43.01.050(e))
- Construction deadline
- 1 year from approval or fees due
- Nonpayment remedy
- perpetual real estate lien (§ 43.01.080)
- Enforcement
- City Manager + Mesa County Building Dept
Summary
In the City of Grand Junction, the Accessory Dwelling Unit Production Program lets the City pay a developer's water and sewer plant investment fees and development impact fees on a qualifying ADU instead of billing the applicant. The Community Development Director must approve or deny a complete fee-payment application within 45 days.
“Development impact fee” or “impact fee” means certain fees now collected or as may be later applied and collected, also known as development impact fee(s), for the purposes of police, fire, parks and recreation, transportation capacity and/or other governmental functions and services. ... § 43.01.060. Fees. ... (a) Fees are as defined in GJMC § 43.01.010. Fees do not include amounts paid to, charged or assessed by another special district, owners association, or special assessment made by any public or private entity, or any other governments other than the City of Grand Junction and Persigo Wastewater Treatment Facility. Fees do not include monies due for permits or plans including but not limited to planning clearances, building inspection or permits, fire inspections, etc. ... (1) The City will upon satisfaction of the following pay fees on behalf of the developer for the construction of an ADU.
Full Breakdown
Under Grand Junction Municipal Code § 43.01.060, the City covers three categories of fees for an eligible accessory dwelling unit: the sewer plant investment fee collected on behalf of Persigo Wastewater Treatment Facility, the water plant investment fee collected on behalf of the City of Grand Junction, and development impact fees charged for police, fire, parks and recreation, and transportation capacity (§ 43.01.010). Fee payment does not cover charges from other special districts, homeowners associations, or permit and inspection fees such as planning clearances, building inspections, or fire inspections.
To receive payment, the developer must record a restrictive covenant against short-term rental use, and any approved ADU planning clearance carries a certificate-of-occupancy hold: construction must finish within one calendar year of approval or all City-paid fees, plus any additional $15,000 incentive, become due immediately. Applications are processed by the Community Development Director, who must approve, approve with conditions, or deny a complete application within 45 days under § 43.01.050(e). The City Manager oversees the program, and the City contracts with the Mesa County Building Department to perform inspections and enforcement (§ 43.01.050(b)).
The program applies only to lots with single-family (attached or detached) or two-family use and was adopted by Ordinance 5136 on March 15, 2023, in response to the City's 2021 Housing Needs Assessment.
Violations & Fines
If a certificate of occupancy is not issued within one year of approval, all City-paid fees and any additional incentive become due immediately (§ 43.01.060(b)(2)(ii)). Unpaid amounts, together with interest and collection costs, become a perpetual real estate lien equivalent to general property taxes under § 43.01.080, collected by the Mesa County Treasurer through the same process used for delinquent property taxes; the City may also pursue civil injunction, abatement, or mandamus action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which fees will Grand Junction pay for my ADU?
How long does approval take?
What if I don't finish building in time?
What happens if I never repay the fees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Junction
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