The Permitting Process is Broken – Please Fix it!

Keith Humphreys’ recent posting of his experience with the impediments in the Portsmouth special permit process that, ultimately, caused the loss of a very good business (with jobs and revenue) that wanted to locate in our town, should be a call for action.  

The problems he described, that included delays, postponements, and a lack of voting quorums on the Zoning Board of Review (ZBR), seems to indicate a major issue that has stifled economic growth in Portsmouth.

Although there are many factors involved and the blame can be spread around, the fact remains that this series of attempts to get a vote from the board took seven months without any results and shows how much time and money is wasted on this process.  

The inability to rule on provides yet another example of a zoning/permitting process that should be revamped. If we want new business and new jobs (and resulting needed revenue) to come to Portsmouth, the permitting process needs to be refined and streamlined where possible. Portsmouth Business Director Bill Clark’s letter to the Town Council (available at www.portsmouthRIedc.com ) offers a reasonable way forward and yet it was dismissed in a 5 to 2 vote with minimal discussion by the Town Council.

This permitting problem (delays, postponements, and a lack of voting quorums) is not just a business development issue, however.

A friend who is a Portsmouth resident recently had to go before the ZBR to get a permit for a minor change to his house footprint with no issues from his abutting neighbors. It took him four months of attending ZBR meetings before his case finally came up – even though it had been on the agenda for the entire period – and was finally adjudicated.

I understand the need to maintain some level of control over what gets built in our town, but the process needs to be examined and changed to allow some kind of “triage” where the simple, “no contest” type of requests that meet all applicable regulations can be quickly permitted by Town officials with Zoning Board ‘consent’. We should save the time and efforts of the Zoning boards, who are all community volunteers, for the larger, more complex issues.

I urge the Town Council and the Zoning Board of Review to reexamine Bill Clark’s proposals and accept the need to re-work our permitting process. Rather than simply stonewalling new initiatives.

I’d also like to see the council do more in promoting Portsmouth as a great place to live and do business.