Streamlined Permitting

Municipal review of proposed developments often can be a lengthy and costly process for developers. Communities can encourage developers to propose projects of the type that the community wants by giving developers incentives, such as streamlining government processes or waiving fees for projects that are in line with community goals. By reducing the development fees, waiting periods, number of reviews, or special permit requirements, municipalities can make it easier and less costly for developers to create preferred projects over other types of development. Municipalities can grant development permits as of right, or with limited review, or can defer or waive development fees for mixed-use projects or other desirable projects, if the project is in compliance with the terms of existing land development regulations.

Another incentive communities can provide is to pre-engineer sites for development to make land targeted by the community "permit ready." In this way, communities can try to attract investment to specific areas targeted for redevelopment. This approach can be cost-effective for developers, since they will spend money primarily on construction costs and not on a time-intensive design and review process.