Commissioners say permitting delays 'are burning business' after examples of multi-month holds

Several speakers, including presenter Chip and city staff, described recurring permit delays and process breakdowns that are slowing tenant fit-outs and new business activity. Chip summarized multiple examples, noting small permitting items are taking months: "I've had other spaces where a permit's held up for 3 months on filling in a door with drywall... it's taking months and months and months and it's burning business."

Chip gave a concrete example: a 3,000 sq ft fit-out for a tenant (Teachers) was held up for two months while staff and applicants worked to locate an existing parking plan for 46 Centerra; he said the delay was for a minor administrative detail and that simply pulling GIS information resolved it. Commissioners and staff agreed the process is inconsistent and that the city should seek to streamline permitting to avoid driving businesses away.

Members agreed to continue to work on process improvements and to identify specific permitting choke points that could be addressed administratively or through policy changes.