A statewide permitting collaborative has been formed to provide more support and guidance for new development projects through the permitting and regulatory process.
As part of Gov. Deval Patrick’s Massachusetts Recovery Plan to secure the state’s economic future, the administration has announced the formation of the Massachusetts Permitting Collaborative.
"Massachusetts is poised for strong economic recovery and my administration is committed to working to ensure that new building projects get all of the assistance they need," said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki. "This added level of coordination among agencies will put people back to work sooner."
The Permitting Collaborative will bring together state agencies and project proponents for a pre-application conference regarding the permitting needs of individual projects throughout the state. This effort will enable these projects to move more quickly through the review process and toward job creation.
"Since 2007 the Permit Regulatory Office has been providing assistance to project proponents who are already in the permitting process, but earlier coordination among agencies and filers will help to avoid some of the issues that tend to arise during permitting," said April Anderson Lamoureux, state permit ombudsman and director of the Permit Regulatory Office. "Offering early consultation and agency coordination on a project specific basis is a win-win for all involved and will help projects meet all required state regulatory thresholds while also completing the permitting process more quickly and in a more predictable fashion."
While working with the Collaborative will not bypass the state’s permitting and regulatory review procedures, an early discussion with key state agencies will allow project proponents to consider agency guidelines, criteria and recommendations prior to filing an application.
This early level of collaboration has been regarded as one of the most effective ways of ensuring that project proponents and agencies have an opportunity to jointly address potential issues early, avoid delays, and move more quickly towards development and job creation.
