MODEL # 97-11

1997 DALLAS DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
CITY OF DALLAS, TEXAS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

REGULATORY AREAS:
Administration & Enforcement
Environmental & Flood Plain
Infrastructure & Impact Fees
Land Use & Zoning
Rehabilitation, Historic Preservation, & Demolition

PROBLEM:
Permit Office Procedures - One-Stop Permit Office

The Economic Development Department of the City of Dallas wanted to create a guide for builders and developers that would provide an overview of the entire development review process, and would complement the City's one-stop permit and business assistance centers.

SOLUTION:
Development Guide

The Department created the 1997 Dallas Development Guide to provide a valuable resource of information on the regulatory process to its customers.

DESCRIPTION:
The Dallas Development Guide is not intended to provide technical detail or the requirements of each review that makes up the development review process. It is intended to provide an overview of the entire regulatory system in the City of Dallas. It is updated annually, and new editions are available the first of each year.

The preface to the guide states that the number of processes that a customer needs will depend on the customer's development plans and the existing circumstances of the property. Customers are also informed that it is their responsibility to know the required steps, where each process will be initiated, what information is required, who will be involved, what will happen, how long it will take, and how much it will cost. The development guide is designed to answer these questions to prepare customers to meet their responsibilities under the process.

The guide includes sections on Business Development, Property Development, Construction Review, Special Review Processes, and Development Coordination. The guide also contains directories for business and property development, fee schedules, and an index to codes, ordinances, resolutions, and manuals. Each section is clearly divided into the following subsections:

• Location (point of contact)

• Information to provide (required forms, fees, plans, etc.)

• Who may be involved (other government agencies)

• How the process works (a flow chart detailing the process is on the Following page)

• How long it will take

• Cost (Appendix 111)

Tying all the regulatory areas together is the One-Stop Permit Center and the Business Assistance Center. The One-Stop Center simplifies the construction and development application and review processes, and allows individuals to conduct most transactions at a single location. The Business Assistance Center, created as part of the One-Stop Center, serves as an information desk to direct people within the Permit Center and to provide information to people who need to interact with other governmental agencies in the opening or expansion of a business. The guide lists the types of permits that may be obtained at the One-Stop Center, as well as the types of applications that are available. Contact information for the One-Stop Center and for the Business Assistance Center is also provided.

At the end of the guide, the Appendices provide a Directory of involved City Staff, Building Inspection Permit Fees and Service Fees, a description of an Automated Inspection Request System, a copy of a standard building Permit Application, a Standard Agreement for sidewalk installation, and a list of Landscape Requirements.

Descriptions for each of the regulatory areas encompassed by this model are given on the following pages:

• Administration and Enforcement: pg. 32-39, 76-77, 87-88

• Land Use and Zoning: pg. 7-29, 66-69

• Environmental and Flood Plain: pg. 48-55, 74-75

• Infrastructure and Impact Fees: pg. 44-47, 56-57, 59-65, 70-73

• Rehabilitation, Historic Preservation and Demolition: pg. 40-43

EVALUATION BY STREAMLINING COMMITTEES:
Advantages

The Administration & Enforcement Task Group stated that the program has an excellent presentation that is clear and thorough with good flow charts. The Environmental & Flood Plain Task Group added that the program has well-defined procedures with a user-friendly format and a good one-stop permit center. The Task Group also valued the participation of environmental and local groups in the process.

The Infrastructure & Impact Fees Task Group listed the program's advantages to be its excellent charts and summary, as well as its full integration of all development permits with building permits. The Land Use & Zoning Task Group added that the Business Assistance Center is a strength of the program, and the Rehabilitation Task Group stated that the program has good time predictions and identifies the responsible people and what information is needed.

Limitations

Environmental & Flood Plain stated that the program is incomplete in terms of links with federal and state regulations (specifically flood plain issues) and is limited to flood plain fill issues. Infrastructure & Impact Fees felt that the program needs more narrative and an example for residential single family dwellings as an appendix to the guide. Rehabilitation also felt that the program needs more details, and added that the program does not address federal and state issues.

Environmental & Flood Plain advanced this program with the following modifications:

• Identify applicable federal and state standards that are omitted.
• Add Flood Plain, Wetlands, Wind, and Endangered Species information for federal, state, and regional regulations.
• Coordinate processing with all agencies, including preliminary screening.
• Application processing linked to Geographic Information System (GIS).
• Explore incentives.
• Explore simplification of forms.
• Develop matrix similar to Palm Beach County Permit Center (Model 97-3).

Infrastructure & Impact Fees advanced this program with the following modifications:

• Include checklist.
• Add penalty if time frames are not met.
• Add an appendix to each type of permit for major construction types (e.g., single family [narrative]).
• Needs to show what is not in the Dallas "one-stop" center, and expand upon what is included.

Rehabilitation advanced this program with the following modifications:

• The Certificate of Appropriateness (pp. 40-45) should be advanced as a good idea that needs further refinement.
• There should be a reference in the building permit chart to historic building considerations.
• The program should not make inspectors feel as though they are being monitored as others systems might.

Administration & Enforcement and Land Use & Zoning advanced this program without modifications.

The Regulatory Affairs Committee recommended forwarding this program as an Administration & Enforcement model.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE IN CONSIDERING THE USE OF THIS MODEL, PLEASE CONTACT:

Joseph B. "Buck" Morse
Chief Building Code Administrator
City of Dallas Economic Development Department
Building Inspection Division
Oak Cliff Municipal Center
320 E. Jefferson Blvd., Room 105
Dallas, TX 75203
Phone:    (214) 948-4474
FAX:      (214) 948-4374