As development activity continues to increase in the city of Edmonds, City staff are looking for ways to keep up. Beginning June 3, the permit counter at City Hall will be closed each Wednesday so that staff can devote more time to reviewing applications and plans and try to catch up with what’s already been submitted.

“This year we have had about a 44 percent increase in building permits compared to last year,” said Shane Hope, the City’s Development Services Director. She noted that building and engineering inspections performed by the city have increased about 25 percent.

“On the one hand, this increase is great news because it means that things are better for people in Edmonds, with the recession over, and they can move ahead with projects,” Hope said. “On the other hand, our department is pressed hard to get everything done on schedule.”

To handle the load, the target for reviewing some projects also may be stretched longer, at least temporarily. For example, a new single family home plan may take a total of 45-50 days for necessary reviews instead of about 35 days. A new commercial building plan may take 75-80 days instead of about 60 days.

Besides handling the increased permit activity,  ity staff are working on long-range projects, such as updating the development code to be clearer and easier to use and overhauling the stormwater management regulations (a State of Washington requirement). A major Comprehensive Plan update is also underway to meet a state deadline of mid-2015.

The permit counter will remain open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, other than Wednesday. Also, permit applications for certain types of minor projects can still be submitted online, regardless of the day or hour.

Currently, the permit counter is closed only on Wednesday afternoons. The new schedule, including permit counter closure all day on Wednesdays, will start in June. The telephone switchboard will remain open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Before the end of the year, the permit workload will be reviewed. If activity levels allow, the permit counter will be reopened on Wednesday mornings and target times for plan review will be restored.