HONOLULU — In an effort to modernize the Department of Planning and Permitting and improve effectiveness and efficiency for the public, the city announced the launch of the department’s new website in a news release.

What You Need To Know

  • The city’s Department of Planning Permitting launched its new user-friendly website

  • The “Permitting Process Improvements” tab is a one-stop source for up-to-date permitting process changes, checklists, references, forms and interpretations

  • DPP also launched an automated computer bot to help review electronic building permit application plans and address the nearly 3,500 backlogged applications currently in the pre-screening queue

  • Starting Monday, Nov. 28, applicants will receive a notice via email if their plans did not meet all four of the checklist items

The user-friendly layout is designed to help customers navigate the many services offered by the agency, including planning, permitting, site development, enforcement, transient-oriented development, geographic information services and affordable housing.

“The new DPP website serves as an important platform to more readily inform and service the public as we continue to modernize and streamline processes,” said DPP Acting Director Dawn Takeuchi Apuna. “I am thankful and proud of our staff who developed the new website in-house, continue to program and develop the bot, and are dedicated to improving our service to the public.”

A one-stop source for industry members, property owners and design professionals to find the most up-to-date permitting process changes, checklists, references, forms and interpretations is the “Permitting Process Improvements” tab located at the top of the page. DPP encourages the public to subscribe to an email list for updates to the PPI tab; the subscription feature is at the bottom of the PPI tab page.

This month, DPP also launched an automated computer bot to help review electronic building permit application plans and address the nearly 3,500 backlogged applications currently in the pre-screening queue. The bot reviews four of the 11 checklist items in the prescreen phase of the building permit application process for basic formatting prior to code review by examiners.

According to the release, the bot should be fully functional by January 2023, reviewing most, if not all, of the 11 checklist items and cutting down further on the prescreen backlog.

Starting on Monday, Nov. 28, applicants will receive a notice via email if their plans did not meet all four of the checklist items, as well as which item was not met and a link to the PPI tab for guidance. Applicants may then resubmit their plans after making indicated revisions.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.