Civil Engineering in Aurora, Colorado.
We work with developers, architects, and landowners on civil engineering for Aurora land development, from Painted Prairie and Aurora Highlands master-planned communities near DIA to medical and bioscience at Anschutz / Fitzsimons, plus southeast growth in the Southlands / Smoky Hill area.
Licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado. The engineer designing your Aurora project is the same engineer answering your call.
(612) 567-2154 →How stormwater is regulated in Aurora.
Aurora's stormwater rules follow MHFD criteria, but water dedication often outranks drainage as the first design constraint.
City of Aurora Storm Drainage Design and Technical Criteria, administered by Aurora Water / Public Works. References and largely follows MHFD/USDCM Volumes 1-3.
Aurora Water requires water dedication (cash-in-lieu or raw water rights) for new development. Water availability and tap fees often drive feasibility before drainage.
State construction stormwater permit. SWPPP and inspection cadence are standard scope on any one-acre-plus disturbance.
Who reviews an Aurora project.
A typical Aurora land development project moves through city, county, state, and (sometimes) federal review. We coordinate the full stack.
Planning site review, Public Works engineering review, and Aurora Water for tap, dedication, and rates.
Aurora spans both counties plus a small piece of Douglas County. County review depends on parcel location.
Access and frontage permits on I-225, I-70, I-25, E-470, US-36, and state-route streets.
RTD coordination for R-Line TOD stations (Iliff, Florida, Aurora Metro Center, 13th Avenue, Colfax). DoD / Buckley AICUZ for parcels under the noise / accident potential overlay.
CDPS-COR400 permit, plus Section 404 review for Sand Creek and Toll Gate Creek WOTUS impacts.
What's different about engineering in Aurora.
A few things shape how a project actually moves in Aurora. We design with these baked in from day one.
- •Water dedication outranks zoning. Aurora Water's dedication requirement plus post-2022 demand-management updates make water availability the first design constraint. Tap fees and raw water rights frequently drive feasibility.
- •Painted Prairie / Aurora Highlands. Active eastern-plains master-planned communities near DIA. Metro district financing, phased infrastructure, and large-scale grading.
- •Anschutz Medical Campus / Fitzsimons Innovation. Medical, bioscience, and supporting commercial pipeline. Fitzsimons / Anschutz overlay shapes design.
- •R-Line TOD station areas. Iliff, Florida, Aurora Metro Center, 13th Avenue, and Colfax. Form-based standards and pedestrian connectivity.
- •Buckley AICUZ overlay. Noise and accident potential zones around Buckley Space Force Base constrain use, height, and density on affected parcels.
What we work on in Aurora.
Phased platting, metro district coordination, large-scale grading, water dedication, and MHFD-compliant stormwater.
Fitzsimons Innovation overlay, structured parking, shared stormwater facilities, and CDOT access on I-225.
Form-based design, structured parking, compact stormwater BMPs, and RTD coordination at Iliff, Florida, AMC, 13th, and Colfax stations.
Southeast growth area, Arapahoe County frontage, MHFD stormwater, and water-availability planning.
Common questions about civil engineering in Aurora.
Why is water the first question on an Aurora project?
Aurora Water requires a water dedication (cash-in-lieu or raw water rights) for new development under its Rules and Regulations. Post-2022 demand-management updates plus the Prairie Waters reliance mean water availability and tap fees frequently drive project feasibility before drainage or zoning. We address the water question before anything else on most Aurora projects.
Which drainage criteria apply to an Aurora project?
Aurora's Storm Drainage Design and Technical Criteria — administered by Aurora Water / Public Works — references and largely follows MHFD/USDCM Volumes 1-3 within the MHFD service area. CDPHE-WQCD issues the construction stormwater permit. Confirm city criteria revision applies to your project.
Do you coordinate with Buckley Space Force Base AICUZ?
Yes for sites under the AICUZ (Air Installation Compatible Use Zones) overlay near Buckley SFB. Noise and accident potential zones constrain use, height, and density. We confirm AICUZ status at project kickoff and coordinate with DoD when applicable.
Do you work on Anschutz / Fitzsimons campus projects?
Yes. The Anschutz Medical Campus and Fitzsimons Innovation Community drive a large pipeline of medical, bioscience, and supporting commercial work. Civil scope includes coordination with Fitzsimons Innovation overlay, structured parking, and shared stormwater facilities.
Do you handle multi-county jurisdiction (Adams / Arapahoe / Douglas)?
Yes. Aurora spans Adams and Arapahoe Counties, with a small piece in Douglas County. A project's county-level review depends on parcel location. We confirm jurisdiction at kickoff and route the right county and city permitting tracks.
Working on an Aurora project?
Tell us about the site. You'll get a same-business-day response from Paul, with a real read on the civil scope, water availability, and likely permitting timeline.