Successfully Addressing Regulatory Requirements for Linear Projects:Highlights from the Aurora Water Prairie Waters Project

摘要

Linear projects confront unique permitting challenges due to the need for concurrentrnapprovals across jurisdictions with differing requirements. Regulatory requirementsrnpresent scheduling and design constraints that can create project risk and requirerndesign changes and construction delays that can ultimately jeopardize on-time projectrndelivery.rnThe City of Aurora’s Prairie Waters Project, designed to deliver up to 10,000 acrefeetrnof raw water for water purification annually by 2010, requires multijurisdictionalrncoordination and many approvals. The Project case study providesrninsight to key elements critical for successful regulatory coordination and approvalsrnand gives essential steps necessary for avoiding pitfalls associated with regulatoryrnconstraints. By integrating reliable planning strategies into initial design process andrnthroughout design and construction, project owners can reduce risk and avoidrnunexpected costs, re-work and delays. Identification of land use and regulatoryrnconstraints, costs, and schedules during the preliminary design phase is fundamental.rnSubsequent communication and relationship building with regulatory staff is vitalrnduring final design. The permitting process for large linear projects often falls outsidernof agencies’ standard review processes. Applicants should be prepared to collaboraternwith regulatory agencies to effectively provide relevant information to assist inrnagency review of the project. Applicants face a shifting landscape of requirementsrngiven agency staff turnover, updates to ordinances, and organizational changes.rnApplicants can expect differing levels of sophistication, divergent requirements, andrnvaried approaches not only from each agency having jurisdiction, but within separaterndepartments of the same agency. Even minor changes in project design or alignmentrncan impact regulatory approvals. This paper summarizes the challenges ofrnstreamlining regulatory review processes and the techniques used to enable thernPrairie Waters Project to meet an aggressive schedule.