Shaffer addresses permit problems

By Nick Grabbe
Staff Writer

Published on August 10, 2007

For years, business owners and contractors have complained about Amherst's building and fire inspectors causing delays in their projects and increasing their expenses.

Responding to these complaints, Town Manager Laurence Shaffer has ventured into the arcane world of permits and state codes. His goal is to change the philosophy and the process under which inspectors grant permits, to be more empathetic to applicants, and to make a dent in the impression that Amherst is hostile to business.

"We want to make sure we communicate clearly to the people we serve what we need and what we expect," he said.

"Those expectations have to be coordinated so there's no inherent conflict between inspectors."

A contractor who's been working on the expansion of Judie's restaurant downtown this year said he's seen an increase in cooperativeness on the part of inspectors since Shaffer began this campaign.

"They've responded better than ever to the issues that have come up. They've met with us on things such as sprinklers, firewalls and fire suppression, and responded quickly and intelligently to our proposals for solving problems," said Peter Jessop of Integrity Development & Construction of Amherst.

Shaffer admitted that there have been problems with coordination, communication and timeliness in the permit process. He has initiated weekly meetings on Thursdays at Town Hall, at which inspectors from different departments get together to make sure they're on the same page.

"People who work with it every day have a very good understanding of how these layers of permits work," he said. "But customers don't. We need greater sensitivity to that. We're not only enforcement agents but also educators and advocates for the building codes."

This fall, Shaffer hopes to have in place a computerized permit tracking system, so that everyone can easily find out where an application stands.

"Are we there yet? I don't want to be Pollyanna-ish. We have some work to do," he said.

Jessop agreed. "Things are moving in the right direction, but we're not quite there yet," he said.

Since the Thursday meetings started, there's been a little more push to get inspectors to respond quickly, he said.

"There's a sense of a change in atmosphere, maybe an acknowledgment that it's nice to move these things along so we can continue economic development," he said.

The permitting process may seem a little more onorous in Amherst than in other towns, Jessop said. "But the reality is it seems onorous because they're doing things by the book and everyone else probably should be," he said.

Building Commissioner Bonnie Weeks is "objective and fair" when making judgments about adherence to the code, Jessop said.

"I may not like it, or think it's necessarily in my best interests, but I always know where she stands," he said. "She's not obstructionist. They're a little more professional than some of the other towns."

The state building code is more than 1,000 pages long and is changing, said Amherst inspector David Waskiewicz. People from outside Amherst call Town Hall to ask questions about it, he said.

"You can err on the side of caution or you can let things go," he said. "We don't tend to let things go."

Often, inspectors will require changes and contractors will say, "We didn't have to do that in" another town, Waskiewicz said.

This summer has been particularly busy, with dorm renovations at Amherst and Hampshire colleges adding to the typical workload, he said. A hiring freeze has been in place and there hasn't been enough staff to handle all the permit applications promptly, he said.

"I don't think people understand what we do," he said. "They expect to be served and treated like they're the only ones. We balance our time and try to get to everyone's concerns. There just aren't enough hours in a week."