By Benjamin Peterson, Colin Cook, and Scott Williams
One of the core issues of the DeVoe Moore Center (DMC) is regulatory streamlining and reform. Previous reports on local permitting have considered particular development types, including shopping centers and telecommunications towers. The DMC’s Data Analytics Group continues to examine the permitting process and most recently began examining retail and commercial building permits. DMC researchers obtained all publicly available permitting records for these projects from 1996 to 2014 from the Tallahassee Growth Management Department (TGMD). This information was used to determine the average wait time for permits, a key measure of regulatory performance and a cost to entrepreneurs trying to open businesses in the Capital City.
Permitting processes vary from project to project, but usually follow certain prescribed steps. (The permitting process for telecommunications towers in Tallahassee was detailed in a 2016 policy report by the DeVoe Moore Center).
- An applicant acquires a Land Use Compliance Certificate, which ensures that the proposed use conforms with land development standards in Tallahassee’s zoning code.
- An Applicant then completes a concurrency application, which specifies how the project will impact public utilities and the flow of traffic.
- A Natural Features Inventory is conducted at the expense of the property owner to identify all existing environmental features on the site, such as trees, wetlands, or animal habitat.
- An applicant must also create a site plan – an initial set of blueprints for the facility and a detailed construction plan. Land developers often need to revise and resubmit hard copies of the site plan to ensure conformance to the code.
- The Natural Features Inventory and the site plan must then be approved by Tallahassee’s Development Review Committee at regularly held public meetings.
- Once an applicant’s plans are approved, they may apply for a building permit. Construction can begin after acquiring the building permit. An applicant must also obtain electrical, plumbing, fire, roofing, and mechanical permits.
- Once all these permits are obtained and the structure is built, the applicant must obtain a certificate of completion or a certificate of occupancy.
Not all of these steps are followed in actual practice. Applicants can seek exemptions from certain parts of the process, and the Development Review Committee may grant deviations or “variances” from local zoning and building codes as its members see fit.
FIGURE 1:
Continue reading →
