No response as of October 14 - we will post late responses within one business day of receiving them.

No response as of October 14 - we will post late responses within one business day of receiving them.

Absolutely.

No response as of October 14 - we will post late responses within one business day of receiving them.

Absolutely. I have brought this issue up before. I would love to have the support of the organizations represented in this questionnaire to help push this proposal forward.

Yes. I plan to speed up the permitting process for all projects and make permitting more fair. I don't think our drawn-out permitting system works for anyone and the time lag costs the community in many ways. I'll work to put in place clear, predictable and easily interpreted development codes and standards for all housing.

First of all, I support a complete overhaul of our current permitting process, as the status quo is untenable. Within the general context of permitting, however, I also favor making some allowances for pursuing specific policy goals--such as providing for affordable housing, or for assisting targeted business expansion or investment--through expedited permitting processes. However, it is critical that such expedited processes are transparent, and that they still have an identified process, rather than operating on an ad hoc basis which results in differential treatment among applicants within the same class of application.

Yes. Permitting for development that is in the right place and right amounts that solve community problems such as affordable housing for low- and moderate-incomes instead of developments that manufacture problems such as traffic impacts of sprawl should benefit from expedited permit processing. I want to prioritize these changes within the Planning Department next year. In addition, substantial development code changes must occur to assist in affordability.

Yes, but our entire permitting process is abysmal and should be re-done. Focusing on specific levels of affordability is not the only answer but, working for a thorough, efficient and consistent permitting process is where must go. Affordability is also in the process and the process is way too slow.

Yes, I support an expedited permitting process for affordable housing projects and environmentally efficient designed projects (LEEDS).

Yes.

Maybe. This would depend upon using standardized and engineered designs that could be adapted to a variety of lot configurations. We could also look at modular homes as they are engineered. I would not support building unsafe buildings that lack fire protection, or weakened structural components just to make them cheap to build. Whatever we build will need to last as long as possible. Limited tax exemptions as incentives to build more affordable housing should be considered. Also, new modular home parks could benefit from a tax relief incentive.

I support a permit process that is complete and timely for all permit applications. The current system does not meet today's need for flexible design, respect for neighborhood character, or a rapid response that is fair and efficient. Too many conflicting provisions within the current code prevent efficient service delivery to permit applicants. Reforming the code and establishing clear service performance standards will help to reduce the housing costs for everyone.

Yes, this is an idea I would consider.

I support a streamlined permit process where the there is a template for an affordable housing project in our mixed use centers. If we do the work beforehand and have a good model, we can have a good design and get through the permit process faster.

Expedited permitting is one possible tool to provide incentives for developers, but its long-term effectiveness may be limited by other necessary government service reforms. Unfortunately, in Bellingham right now, the permitting process is much slower than is typical in most communities, and the building services department does not appear to have the staffing capacity and resources that it needs. This means that all projects, residential and commercial, are subjected to expensive delays. As a matter of good government, I believe that the permitting process should be timely for all appropriate and qualified projects, not just for an advantaged few. Thus, to the degree that our municipal government succeeds in meeting its obligation to serve the public well, the advantage of expedited permitting will be reduced. Success in one area would work against success in another - not an ideal solution.

I believe that we can identify other incentives for affordable housing, such as deferred impact fees, property and excise tax credits, density bonuses, design flexibility, and lot size, lot coverage and set-back adjustments, that may prove effective to meet affordability and other policy goals (such as targeted infill and transportation-oriented design).

No response as of October 14 - we will post late responses within one business day of receiving them.

No response as of October 14 - we will post late responses within one business day of receiving them.