The Montezuma County commissioners unanimously approved a suite of land-use code amendments at a hearing last week.

The main change gives “use by right” status to parcels zoned light industrial, heavy industrial or commercial. The change eliminates the need for high-impact permit reviews for those properties. Those applications cost $1,000 and can take 6-10 weeks.

Planning director Susan Carver said the goal is to help businesses open more quickly.

Under the updated code, developers whose building plans exceed one or more “threshold standards” do not need a high-impact permit. Instead they need only craft a plan to mitigate impacts such as structure heights, traffic volume and noise.

Another change gives commercial and industrial applicants the choice of using either the more stringent International Building Code, or the 1997 Uniform Building Code.

None of the proposed amendments impact houses, apartments or condominiums, Carver said, because Montezuma County has no mandatory residential building codes.