ARLINGTON – A consultant who audited the city’s permit process gave the City Council a mostly positive report this week.
Kurt Latimore, a Snohomish-based consultant, told the council that Arlington “is doing a really good job getting permits through.”
“The city is equal to or in many cases faster than other cities,” Latimore said.
Latimore, a former Boeing executive, has been pushing a project called the Model Permit System throughout Snohomish County and neighboring counties. The project is touted by the Economic Development Council of Snohomish County and has been sponsored by Boeing, the Master Builders Association and others in the past two years.
Latimore said Arlington has shown some innovation.
One example, he said, is that Arlington allows building applicants to skip initial public hearings if nobody specifically requests one. The hearings process can sometimes double the time spent on permits, Latimore said.
“By virtue of narrowing down to just those citizens who are interested in having hearings, you cut down on that time,” Latimore said.
He also praised Arlington’s ability to handle considerably more commercial development than other cities of similar size.
One resident, John Lynn, questioned whether speed is always a good thing when it comes to permits.
A permit application for a new Wal-Mart in Smokey Point slipped past the public’s attention in December. Legal ads about the project were published, but no one requested a public hearing, so the project moved forward without a hearing.
“No one knew about it,” Lynn told the council. “It was buried in our holiday.”
Later, Wal-Mart opponents rallied support, gathering about 900 signatures on a petition.
“I think you all moved too fast on that particular issue,” Lynn said.
Latimore offered one key recommendation to the city. He suggested investing in software that allows all city staff to be able to pinpoint which department has a specific permit application at any given time.
Questions that are raised while a permit is being processed take longer to answer without a central tracking mechanism, Latimore said.
The council accepted the report but took no immediate action.
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