DeKalb County permit and inspections staff told summit attendees that businesses seeking to open in the county generally follow one of two permit pathways: the full permit process for new construction, renovations or changes of use, and a move-in-as-is field-review process for businesses that will not alter a space.

The permit official said change-of-use projects typically require drawings from a licensed design professional and that the county’s staff can provide guidance on preparing applications. For businesses moving into an existing space with no building work, the county has launched a move-in-as-is program that pairs a short-form submission and a field review with a fire inspector so owners can obtain a quicker combined review and inspection.

"There's a special place for you in that application. And we actually great timing with the summit. We launched a new program about 6 weeks ago where we take you out of this permit process and have a field review with a fire inspector in your facility," the Permit and Inspections official said. The official added that inspectors are certified plan reviewers and that the department tries to be practical about hand-drawn sketches during move-in-as-is reviews.

The official said the county has reduced plan-review turnaround times and pointed to a service-level agreement committing reviews within 15 days; "as of 12:00 today, we're at 11 days' turnaround time," the official said. The speaker also said the county’s inspectors and plan reviewers strive to limit reinspection or rebuild fees when feasible and offered guidance on hiring licensed architects or design professionals to prepare clear applications.

The official noted the county has intergovernmental agreements and memorandums of understanding that affect how cities route building applications to DeKalb, naming Chamblee and Doraville as examples; some cities have their own fire marshals and specific routing sheets that applicants must complete. The session included no formal vote; the presentation was informational and the county encouraged attendees to use the e-portal and routing sheets appropriate to the city where they are applying.