Seventy-five percent of the
HBRACC membership when
surveyed said that permitting
was a hindrance to business. In
that same report, 46 percent reported
delays in project deadlines as a result,
and 33 percent said the status quo led to
increased project costs.
This is not exclusive to Massachusetts.
In fact, a similar assessment in Oregon
revealed that construction costs may
increase up to 10 percent due to
permitting bureaucracy and delays.
Different permitting processes
across towns on the Cape creates
inconsistencies, and builders have to expect to approach
each process differently. Such inconsistencies are in: 1) forms
and required documentation, 2) code interpretation, 3) fee
determination, 4) schedules for inspections, 5) addressing simple
vs. complex permits.
In order to achieve some consistencies across towns, towns
should consider a uniform policy. Such a policy should strive
to improve towns’ existing policies. For instance, timing for
permitting should start when the permit is received by any of the
departments that must review and sign off. Presently, the 30-day
limit starts when it finally lands on the building departments’
inbox, which can be weeks or months after the process was started.
Forms must be consistent. In one town, a building
commissioner said he used the state templates for all of his forms.
While far from perfect, he said the uniformity prevents a lot of
headaches in the end.
Changes in staffing across towns would be included in a
uniform policy. It would require: 1) increased hours and more
coverage when staff is sick or on vacation, 2) more authority
to front desk administration to review and sign off on less
complicated permits, 3) better training, and 4) consideration for
‘permit coordinators,’ who are the builder’s point of contact when
permits are making their way through each of the departments.
Technology should allow us to put everything online
and streamline processes. E-permitting is inevitable. Doing
everything online would make permitting much easier for all
parties involved.
AT HOME ON CAPE C 58 OD • FALL/WINTER 2018
As part of this uniform, Cape-wide
policy, we also envision a system similar to
the TSA pre-check for builders who qualify
in advance. We also see the expansion of
the “express permit” for simpler jobs when
it is known that there aren’t any zoning or
conservation implications with a project or
footprint expansion.
The manuals for each town’s
procedures and consistent directories
of who handles what would need to be
readily available online as well.
This would take some work. In order
to understand the impacts of our present
situation, we must research the financial
impacts of delays from our presents systems. We must reach out
to players across the entire Cape and together come up with a
comprehensive that leads to understanding the best policy for
everyone. Then finally we must establish some formal meetings to
facilitate the design process and eventually compose a model policy.
Then comes the hard part: the politics of passage. We’ll have
to create materials that explain this policy in laymen’s terms
through talking points, FAQs, and summaries on a professionally
designed and easily navigable web site. Then HBRACC members
have to work with advocates within town departments and supply
them with ways to convince their peers of the benefits of a new
uniform policy.
This uniform policy will not pass in all towns at the same
time. We must identify towns that are the most willing and use
them as models for attempts to pass the policy in towns that may
be more hesitant to change.
It will take time and some hand-holding might be
required. And while advocacy might be a little new to us as an
organization, we are in the best position to lead this charge.
The benefits of this change would far outweigh the minor
troubles we experience in implementing this along the way.
Towns will streamline their permitting processes and builders
will encounter consistency as we work on projects in different
towns. It is a win-win for all involved.
Trevor Meyer is the Principal of Meyer and Sons, Inc. and the
1st Vice President/Treasurer of the Home Builders & Remodelers
Association of Cape Cod.
TECH AND INNOVATION
Embrace E-Permitting
HBRACC has to work Cape-wide to implement a uniform policy for permitting that
includes online procedures and forms.
BY TREVOR MEYER