PORT ANGELES — Clallam County is hoping to speed up residential construction by applying for a state grant aimed at streamlining the building permit process.
The Department of Commerce grant would help pay for consultants already working with the county to improve permit reviews, while also funding additional digitization efforts designed to reduce processing times.
“It’s a grant looking to help communities streamline their residential building permit process and bring the timelines down. So the intention of if we’re awarded this grant is to use some of that money for a consultant we’re already paying for, and then also support us in some of our digitization efforts,” Community Development Deputy Director Tim Havel topld County Commissioners this week.
Community Development Director Bruce Emery says permit turnaround times are already strong, but they want to improve the system before development activity picks up again.
He told County Commissioners, faster permitting isn’t just about convenience for builders — it’s also about addressing the region’s housing shortage.
“Because anyone in business knows time is money and it’s very critical. Time is also units. It’s also housing. And so we want to keep that level of efficiency up and improve where we can.”
The grant application is due to the Department of Commerce by July 31.