Franklin County planning director outlines permit trends and a timeline for comprehensive‑plan updates

West McCart, Franklin County’s planning and economic development director, updated the Board of Commissioners on May 27 about permit activity, a SmartGov online permitting rollout and progress on the county’s comprehensive‑plan update.

McCart said residential permits are about 15 permits ahead of last year while commercial permits are roughly 11 ahead, and that permit complexity has increased with more boundary‑line adjustments, shoreline permits and floodplain work. He described outreach for the comp‑plan update—three open houses that drew 21 total attendees and a month‑and‑a‑half public survey that received 47 responses—and emphasized that the open‑house turnout is not statistically significant but provided useful feedback.

On permitting modernization, McCart said staff has spent months configuring the SmartGov system, retraining staff and rewriting applications; he estimates a fall target for launch. McCart said a draft comp‑plan element will be ready in roughly two weeks and that a grant submission deadline of June 22 governs timing for some deliverables. He urged residents to participate early in code updates because applications filed under the existing code become vested and are not subject to later code changes.

McCart also flagged a staffing need: he described the county’s fire marshal as 'nonresponsive' to permit inquiries and requested attention to ensure timely review of commercial projects. He said staff training and a recently purchased smart board have improved customer intake and project review capabilities.