Denver resident's permitting problems helped forge city's relationship with new AI software
A few years ago, Denver resident Julia Richman and her husband set out to renovate their home, built in 1905, before uncovering foundational issues that forced a demolition and revisiting the permitting process.
"We sat from March, really, until the fall," said Richman. "I think it was October by the time the city had a chance to even look at our application."
Richman says it took about nine months for their new application to get approved, during which they were paying rent on top of a mortgage, and the cost of the house went up 20%.
"The cost went up so much. And if you're a commercial developer, you know, 20% on a 30-story building is an insane amount of money," said Richman.
In the end, the Richman's home turned out beautifully. She didn't know then that her permitting problems would help forge a partnership between the City of Denver and an AI software company called CivCheck.
"Made an introduction, but the product really spoke for itself," Richman said.
Richman also helped advise CivCheck's co-founders on their business strategy in order to approach cities with their product, partly pulling from her personal experience.
Although Denver's permitting process has improved, the average time for Richman to get a permit to rebuild today would still be around seven months. That's according to the city's estimated timeline for major residential projects. CivCheck can help make the process up to 70% quicker.
"The AI takes out some of the low-value, high-churn tasks, but the human being is always using their expertise to make decisions," Richman explained.
While Richman is excited for Denver residents to experience the benefits when it launches later this year, she wants people to know the software won't collect anyone's data.
"We're using the Municipal Code and comparing it against the plans that people submit, helping human beings make decisions more efficiently, right? And so I think, in a world where it can seem really scary, not all AI is the same, and I think that's important for people to understand," said Richman.
Mesa County on the Western Slope is also conducting a pilot program with CivCheck, and this is really the future of permitting. Richman says she's been in the government technology space for 20 years, and she's never seen a faster race among tech companies trying to help solve these types of government issues.
