WELCOME TO PARKER
Your Kind of Place
Whether you’re a new business owner, resident, or thinking of making the move, may we be the first to welcome you to the Parker community! In Parker, you’ll find a highly talented and educated workforce with a high quality of life. The local community offers ample opportunity for investors, developers, business owners, and retailers.
On This Page:
About Parker
Transportation:
Easy access to Denver, Colorado Springs, and the rest of the Front Range via the E-470 tollway, I-25, and public transportation
Denver Internation Airport (DIA) located 30 minutes away
Centennial Airport (a general aviation airport) located 10 minutes away
Amenities:
The state-of-the-art Parker Hospital
Open spaces, trails, public parks, and facilities – Our Parker Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies!
A police department accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
Plenty of restaurants, cafes, and more!
Additional Parker Information:
Founded in 1864
Parker is 22.4 square miles
Population as of 2024: approximately 67,376 people
School District: Students residing in Parker are within the Douglas County School District RE 1
The Town of Parker’s vision is to be the pre-eminent destination community of the Denver Metro area for innovative services with a hometown feel. We will be an area leader in economic and community development, and strive to be at the forefront for services, civic engagement, and quality of life.
The mission of the Town of Parker is to enrich the lives of residents by providing exceptional services, engaging community resources, and furthering an authentic hometown feel. We promote transparent governing, support sustainable development, and foster a strong, local economy.
TOWN OF PARKER
Councils, Boards, Committees, and Commissions
Parker Town Council
Council members make policy decisions for the Town of Parker and approve the Town budget. They also hire, supervise and direct the Town Administrator, who carries out the Council’s directives and is responsible for all other Town staff and day-to-day activities.
Boards, Committees, Commissions, and Authorities
| COMMITTEE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Planning Commission | Provides recommendations to the Council on land use and related development issues, as well as matters related to historic preservation. |
| Special Licensing Authority | Reviews and issues or denies certain licenses within the Town, including liquor licenses. They also review code violations. |
| Cultural and Scientific Commission | Fosters, implements, and participates in providing opportunities for cultural and scientific experiences for the community of Parker. |
| Investment Advisory Committee | Reviews and monitors the Town’s cash management and investment results, recommends investment policies, and assists in selecting investment facilitators and managers. |
| Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Commission | Advises the development, expansion, and operation of parks, recreation, open space and trail facilities. |
| Youth Commission | An advisory board appointed by Town Council that includes youth in Parker in grades 9-11 that make recommendations to the Town Council on matters affecting youth in Parker. |
Town Services and Departments
As a business in Parker, you may find yourself interacting with the following departments:
Economic Development
303.841.0353
Provides full-service economic development assistance to existing, expanding, and relocating businesses. Parker Economic Development assists current businesses with resources and tools to help them grow and expand, helps new business owners get started, and actively recruits the right businesses to the area. We can also help businesses who are working with the Town understand processes, permits, and more!
Enforces requirements of the adopted building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical and fire codes. The Building Division handles the building permit process, plan review, and oversees and enforces the adopted building codes.
Building permits and development applications are all available through Parker’s eTrakit system.
The Building Division also handles all fire life safety plan review and inspections.
Community Services Division (Code Enforcement)
303.841.9800
Community Service Officers (CSO) respond to code-related issues and calls for service and report to some non-emergency calls.
Finance Department
303.841.0353
Responsible for managing the Town of Parker’s financial resources, including sales tax. The Sales Tax Division administers, collects, and enforces the Town’s sales and lodging tax. See the Town’s Sales Tax Division page for more information on taxes and fees.
Comprehensive Planning: develops and implements the Town’s Master Plan and other long-term plans and programs
Development Review: responsible for processing Land Use Applications, including requests for annexation, rezoning, site plans, and subdivision plats. Also reviews sign permits, temporary use permits, home-based occupation applications, and requests for variances from the Land Development Ordinance.
Engineering/Public Works Department
303.840.9546
Plans, designs, builds, maintains, and operates public infrastructure, including capital improvements, engineering services, fleet and facilities services, stormwater utility, street maintenance, and traffic services.
Maintains all Town legal documents, including the Municipal Code, and handles all Open Records Requests.
Also administers Municipal Elections, Liquor Licenses, and issues Peddler and Solicitor Permits. Find all of these on the Town’s website.
Outside Services and Organizations
The Town of Parker does not handle trash, water, sewer, electricity, gas, or fire rescue services. Find a more complete list on the Town’s website.
For information regarding these services, please contact the following companies:
Water
Cottonwood Water and Sanitation District – 303.649.9857
Parker Water and Sanitation District – 303.841.4627
Stonegate Village Metropolitan District – 303.858.9909
Trash/Dump
Several private companies service the Town of Parker.
Sedalia Landfill – 720.733.8584
Electricity
CORE Electric Cooperative – 800.332.9540
Gas
Business Solutions – 800.481.4700
Builders call line - 800.628.2121
Internet Providers
Century Link – 303.840.1103
Xfinity – 800.934.6489
Direct Link – 720-851-1111
Viasat – 844.702.3199
Fire Rescue Services
South Metro Fire Rescue Authority – 720.989.7200
Library
Parker Branch, Douglas County Libraries – 303.841.3503
Building Permits and Land Use Applications
Building Permits:
If you plan on expanding, renovating, or making other construction alterations, you’ll likely need a permit through the Building Division. All permits are handled through eTRAKiT. The following projects would likely require a permit:
New building – regardless of size
Additions – such as a roof, window, and door replacements and retaining or block walls
Alterations – those that go beyond cosmetic alterations such as gutter replacement, dry-walling, electric, mechanical and plumbing alterations and upgrades, and more.
Repairs involving structural members installations
The Town of Parker has programs to help with permits and expectations including pre-application meetings and the EZ Permits programs for small businesses. Learn more on the Building Division webpage.
For questions, please contact the Building Division at 303.841.1970
Land Use Applications:
The Planning Division handles Land Use Applications for items such as annexation, rezoning, site plans, and subdivision plats. A Site Plan or Site Plan Amendment is required for all new construction or changes to existing structures within the town limits. This includes:
Changes in uses
Buildings, structures, or additions
Major alterations to exteriors of buildings like changes to color schemes and materials
For questions, please contact the Community Development Department at 303.841.2332.
Sign Code Resources
Before creating a sign in Parker, whether it’s for a subdivision, business, or something else, check Sign Code Regulation and submit a sign permit or temporary sign registry through eTRAKiT.
For questions, please contact the Community Development Department at 303.841.2332.
Sales Tax and Business License Information
Sales Tax:
The Town of Parker has a 3% sales tax on the sale of tangible personal property at retail or the furnishing of taxable services.
Additionally, two sales tax rates are possible depending on where a business is located within the Regional Transportation District (RTD). You can contact RTD directly at 303.299.6000 to verify if an address is located within the boundary.
Click here to see a breakdown of tax rates within and outside of the RTD.
Business License:
Every person who operates a business in the Town of Parker must comply with the Town’s licensing and tax laws. Click here for the Business and Tax License applications. Business and Tax Licenses take a minimum of two weeks to be approved.
If you’re unsure if you need a license, have questions about the application or business taxes, the Town of Parker has put together a guide. Click here to read the PDF guide. Contact the Town of Parker if you need a different file type.
For further questions, reach out to the Sales Tax Division at 303.805.3228.
PUBLIC WORKS
Stormwater, Capital Improvements, Streets, and more
Public Works handles the following:
The Capital Improvement Program (C.I.P.) provides replacement or construction of bridges/roadways, paving and widening of existing roadways within the Town of Parker.
This division oversees design review and construction inspection of new projects to ensure compliance with the latest engineering criteria policies and best management practices. The division also reviews permits and inspects all construction within public rights-of-way.
Provides overall stormwater management to prevent flooding, protect water quality, and preserve the natural creeks and gulches throughout the Town of Parker. If you have concerns or experience flooding due to stormwater runoff, please call 303.840.9546.
The Town is continually working on improving our transportation network and has recently completed several critical road projects, with many more in the works. Many of the projects focus on providing alternate routes around our community. Learn more on the Town’s website.
The Traffic Services Division provides for transportation/traffic project development and implementation of the roadway system. Visit the Town’s website to report concerns, ask questions, and indicate where you believe more enforcement is needed.
Get Connected
Interested in learning more?
Find more resources and ways to get connected.
Let’s Talk Parker – The Town of Parker’s engagement, feedback, and project tracking tool