In an effort to streamline the commercial building permit process, the City of Portland is now offering free remote consultations for customers dealing with first-review checksheet issues. As reported by the City of Portland, these new consultations aim to help clarify code compliance requirements and hasten the permit issuance procedure.
The offer, which marks the city's direct approach to aid customers, targets matters that usually slow down the permitting process, such as life safety, structural, site development, erosion control, and mechanical issues the move is expected to promote better communication between city staff and customers, reducing the time spent on revisions and misunderstandings. According to interim director of Portland Permitting & Development David Kuhnhausen, “The goals of these meetings are to address any questions or misunderstandings related to the scope of the project, work through conflicts, promote mutual understanding of the corrections required, and help ensure the next round of corrections will resolve the outstanding issues," as stated by the City of Portland.
These consultations, which can be scheduled for up to an hour via phone or video conference, are a new feature in Portland's permit review process. Traditionally, customers could reach out to plan reviewers, whose contact information is listed on each checksheet, but now, the city is proactively offering these meetings right after the issuance of the first checksheet. This initiative stems from a successful pilot project carried out in 2023 involving 20 new apartment buildings, which reportedly saw a reduction in review time by an average of one checksheet, as per the City of Portland.
However, not all customers will have access to this service due to staff limitations. It is exclusively available for commercial permit customers addressing select first-round checksheet concerns and customers are advised to contact the identified City professional listed in the checksheets or ProjectDox, the City’s plan review software, to schedule their session and while these sessions are not offered for all permit types, they signify the city’s commitment to enhancing the overall permitting experience. In addition to the sessions, plan reviewers remain available for contact, and customers are encouraged to reach out with any questions they might have beyond these consultations.
