Suffolk building permit process going online

The Hauppauge Industrial Association held its annual meeting last week, and there was some good news for home builders, developers and architects.

Yves Michel, commissioner of Suffolk's department of economic development, told a gathering at the Melville Marriott that sometime this month, the county will activate its online platform that will connect Suffolk's 10 towns, creating a uniform building permit application process.

Called the Suffolk Unified Permit Portal, the program will contain building permits that can be downloaded and electronically filed. Users, including the public, will also be able to track the status of pending applications. Town and county agencies will be able to review applications simultaneously. All 10 Suffolk towns have signed onto the plan, Michel said. The program will not take away the municipalities' permitting authority.

"We're making everything more transparent," said Michel. "There will be one application for everybody."

Builders have complained about the permitting process on Long Island for decades.

Suffolk's plan was praised by the developers' group Association for a Better Long Island. "It will allow unanimity between the county, the towns and the villages," said executive director Desmond Ryan.

Nassau County is examining Suffolk's plan, said Pat Foye, the county's deputy for economic development. "County Executive [Edward] Mangano is focused on reducing unproductive and costly bureaucracy and accelerating job creation," Foye said. "This would be one step in that direction."

The HIA's meeting was devoted to 2011 economic development. Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy told the audience that they, small business people, "are going to be the key to getting us out of our economic malaise," and government's job was to assist them.