City survey says permitting process improved
July 2, 2008
By Emily Keller
Obtaining a land use or building permit from the city has gotten faster and easier, according to city officials and Sammamish residents.
City staff processed a greater portion of home renovation permit applications within its target processing time in 2008 compared with 2007, said Kamuron Gurol, the city’s director of community development.
The city increased its speed in all permit categories. The most significant increases were for additions and deck permits. The city met its two-day maximum goal for over-the-counter townhouse permits 60 percent of the time, compared with 10 percent in 2007. The city also met a two-week goal for small projects permits for townhouses 67 percent of the time, compared with 16 percent in 2007, Gurol told the Council in a quarterly presentation June 17. He attributed the city’s success in part to its transition to an online application process.
Sammamish residents who answered a recent phone survey gave the permit process a positive rating. A survey of nearly 400 people conducted by Herbert Research in April showed that 55 people had applied for building permits from the city, and 84.4 percent of them said they had a good or excellent experience. The remaining 15.6 percent said they had a poor or very poor experience. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.
When asked to rate their priorities in the permit process, 91.6 percent of the respondents who had applied for permits said faster turnaround of permits was important, and 85.7 percent said the same of customer service hours. A large portion, 86.7 percent, said more online capability was important, and 81.8 percent chose lower cost.
Only 8 of the survey’s respondents had applied for a land use permit. Three found the experience good or excellent and two found it very poor.
Gurol’s presentation also showed that there have been fewer than expected single-family residence permit applications. The city now expects to receive only 40-50 single-family residence applications in 2008, compared with the 100-125 projected earlier this year.
But Gurol notes that land-use permits that are already in the system are high, and the number of residential permits like additions and remodels have remained the same or risen.
“Eventually, the market will rebound, and we’ll be ready for it,” he said.
The city processed an increasing number of over-the-counter permits per month for mechanical, re-roof, tree removal, plumbing and other applications from January to May. The city issued 57 typical over-the-counter permits in May compared with 29 in January. Gurol said the online application process has helped city staff deal with the ebb and flow of applications.
“We’re kind of like the grocery store,” Gurol said, explaining the permit process from the city’s perspective. “You go to the grocery store and it seems like everyone else decided to go to the grocery store at the same time you went to the grocery store.”
The city expects to receive 60 plat and short plat applications by year’s end, along with 120 remodel applications, 30 demolition requests, 30 standard re-roof applications and 400 mechanical, roof, plumbing and other electronically issued permit requests.
Reporter Emily Keller can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or ekeller@isspress.com.
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