Slow down ADVERTISING Slow down Drivers: Please remember the two entrances to Wal-Mart on Makaala Street are not four-way intersections! Please, also slow down and give the pedestrians the right of way in the crosswalks. Mary Ann Chester Hawaiian Paradise
Slow down
Drivers: Please remember the two entrances to Wal-Mart on Makaala Street are not four-way intersections!
Please, also slow down and give the pedestrians the right of way in the crosswalks.
Mary Ann Chester
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Expedited permitting
Recently, my son-in-law, who lives in Davidson County, Tenn., built a screened-in, roofed porch on top of an existing deck. He obtained a permit from the county in 20 minutes using only pencil sketches on plain paper.
The major concern by the county was whether the project was within the property lines. Now he just has a single inspection left to get his Certificate of Occupancy.
More interesting is the Davidson County’s electronic permit process, which allows registered licensed contractors to apply for permits online. As I am told, usually within a day, the applicant then brings a checklist to the county and walks through key departments, such as public works, water supply … a process which for a normal residential construction can be done in a day or two. Detailed drawings and specs are not normally reviewed.
The contractor then pays a fee and proceeds with building. During construction, the project is subject to inspections at set stages and inspections are requested online.
Apparently, if an inspection is missed, the contractor can submit an engineer’s letter verifying proper construction.
Now, I don’t know how many staff Davidson County has to enable expedited permits and inspections, but it seems the combination of reliance on the integrity of individuals, use of online methods and rapid inspections allows for much faster, more economical and less bureaucratic project completion.
Perhaps a review of how Davidson County and others do their permitting/inspections could lead to more efficient, timely and less costly construction on the Big Island.
Neal Herbert
Hilo
