Sonoma County Announces the Opening of the Resiliency Permit Center
Asquared Studios Attends the First Resiliency Center Informational Seminar
The Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD) has opened the Resiliency Permit Center, or RPC, which is a unique permitting facility dedicated to specifically serving the victims of the 2017 wildfires. The primary purpose for the RPC is to expedite and streamline the permitting needs for building (or re-building) in the burn zone. The RPC has been contracted to Sonoma County for 3 years.
The RPC is run by West Coast Code Consultants, a company that specializes in plan review and inspection services. Mike Renner will be heading up the RPC and he was on hand at the seminar to explain the process for submittals and approvals for projects located in the burn zone. It is clear that they are dedicated to making this process as pain free as possible. Some of the highlights on how they intend to do this is by creating a user friendly web portal in which submittals can be made and comments returned. Their intended review process is 5 days to comments, or what they call “Greenlines”, which is a system of notating submittal drawings and returning them to the applicant in lieu of creating plan review letters. If corrections are required, the RPC will review the revised submittal package within 3 days. If anyone has been through the standard building permit review process, an 8 day total review period is remarkable, and we commend the establishment of this system.
To achieve an maintain the efficiency of this process, Mike has asked that everyone schedule a “Pre-Application Screening” or PAS. He encourages project teams to bring as many team members as might be necessary to ensure this screening is effective. The purpose of this meeting is to review the intended project for planning, septic, and building issues and determine if there is any project component that will create a red-flag for the RPC review process. It is our belief that the pre-application screening is something that should be done in the case of any standard permit submittal.
In addition to the expedited process, projects submitted through the RPC will enjoy a discounted permit fee. The noted discount is approximately 35% less than the standard fees.
Of course each and every project will have a unique set of requirements and questions to be answered, but overall the RPC is offering a remarkable opportunity for fire victims to achieve their re-building goals. We encourage everyone to visit their web portal and review what they are offering. From this location you will be able to access information regarding services for projects that fall within the jurisdiction of both Sonoma County and the City of Santa Rosa.
Asquared Studios is happy to answer any additional questions you may have and help you navigate the re-building process.
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