Architect warns consultant-driven permitting is slowing local development
Summary
Don Larson told the board that heavy reliance on consultants and discretionary approvals increases costs and delays for applicants; he recommended alternatives such as accepting licensed professionals' approvals for routine matters and using as-of-right rules where appropriate.
Don Larson told the board that many delays result from discretionary reviews and consultants who, he said, are sometimes incentivized by hourly work. "There's a lot of consultants that applicants need to hire... I'm not sure their interests are aligned with the town or the applicants because they're working hourly," Larson said.
Board members and residents discussed practices in other jurisdictions, including accepting licensed professionals' stamped drawings in lieu of full planning-board review and delegating limited inspections to licensed professionals when municipal bandwidth is constrained. The board asked staff to research New York State bid options and to consider whether accepting professional stamps or expanding as-of-right actions could safely lower costs and speed approvals.
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