Local Development Permit Fast-Tracking:Learn From Yakima

Time is money. Ask any company undergoing a site search. There is nothing more frustrating or aggrevating for a business than getting caught up in the local development review process. Some cities and counties have found practical ways to cope with this problem. For one--look at what Yakima County, WA communities are doing with their new countywide permit fast-tracking process.

The City of Yakima, WA and Yakima County recently unveiled commercial and residential permitting service standards backed by a customer-service commitment that includes an application fee refund for failing to meet time constraints. According to the service standards adopted by both the city and county, commercial building permits should be issued within seven to eight weeks of receiving a complete application.

The initiative is an opt-in program, allowing developers who want to build projects in phases to choose to move through the process at their own pace. That flexibility allows the permitting process to be fast-paced for those that want it and still meet the needs of projects designed to be developed more slowly.

The Yakima County Development Association is a very effective economic development organization. Check out its "high yield growth program."