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Building Dept. Hopes To Speed Process With Walk-In Permitting

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

To expedite the building permit process for small construction projects, the

town is beginning a new program called "Walk-In Wednesdays" at the town

building department in Canaan House at Fairfield Hills.

The program is intended to speed up the building plan review process for small

construction projects such as decks, porches, finished basements in existing

homes, the installation of swimming pools, and the construction of sheds under

200 square feet in area, Chief Building Official Tom Paternoster said Tuesday.

Walk-In Wednesdays begins on Wednesday, April 7. In the program, permit

applicants for small construction projects may have their permits reviewed on

Wednesday afternoons at the building department without making an appointment.

Permits will be reviewed on a "first-come, first-served" basis between 1:30

and 3:45 pm on Wednesdays, Mr Paternoster said.

To participate in the program, applicants must present a building permit

application that is complete and must also present all the approvals, or

"sign-offs," that are required by other town departments. The application will

then be reviewed by building department staff on Wednesday afternoon and

approved at that time if all requirements are met.

The program is intended to make it simpler for homeowners and small

contractors to get swift approvals for their projects, Mr Paternoster said.

Through the program, it may be possible for applicants to save a couple of

weeks in getting their projects completed, he said. Walk-In Wednesdays could

prevent homeowners from losing the services of contractor by eliminating

delays in obtaining building permits, he said.

Mr Paternoster estimated that about 300 small construction projects are

processed by the building department annually. Last year, the department

reviewed the installation of 55 swimming pools, he said.

"I look at this as a way to streamline our procedures," he said.

If Walk-In Wednesdays proves successful, the department will streamline other

aspects of its operations, Mr Paternoster said.

First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal is enthusiastic about the new program. "I

think it's a terrific idea," he said. "Anytime you can make the government

more `user-friendly,' it's a good thing to do."

Mr Rosenthal said the program is designed to address the frustration that

homeowners encounter when their small construction projects are delayed by the

regulatory process.

"I think we can do these things to make the lives of the local citizens

easier," he said.

"We're not going to relax standards. The regulations will all be followed," he

said.

Mr Rosenthal said he encourages town department heads to streamline their

review processes without reducing their regulatory standards.