Action 6: Establish Expedited Permitting Procedure
Develop Statewide Expedited Permitting Legislation
Businesses expect coordinated and prompt permitting for new facilities at both the state and local level, and will locate elsewhere if they do not find it in Rhode Island. Protracted permitting processes and inconsistent requirements are also hindering the recovery of the recession-ravaged construction industry. It is time to remove this sometimes deal-breaking impediment to job growth in this state.
As a first step, the RIEDC will convene the parties involved — builders, contractors, building trades, architects, engineers and regulators — to begin the discussion on how to simplify, standardize, coordinate, and speed up the process of obtaining construction permits.
For larger economic development projects, the RIEDC is working with the Governor’s Office to develop a statewide expedited permitting proposal that includes municipal-level permitting. Among the initiatives being considered are the creation of a permitting ombudsman within the RIEDC, who would be familiar with all of the project’s permitting needs and guide projects through to approval and completion, and the establishment of a statewide pending permit review panel composed of regulatory decision-makers to facilitate the prompt review of pending permits for projects with substantial economic development improvements.
It is RIEDC’s expectation that this will be an important piece of state legislation that will make Rhode Island highly competitive with neighboring states. A fair, predictable and prompt permitting process will attract new companies to Rhode Island and allow companies within our state that take advantage of the program to grow.