DEM streamlines permitting process

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced last week that it has assigned a Project Review Team to each of the four KeepSpace Community projects approved the Rhode Island Housing.
That will allow each developer “for the first time ever in Rhode Island” to bypass the process of applying for each permit separately. Instead, “all DEM-related permits will be handled cooperatively and cohesively.”
“The comprehensive team approach creates a new way for DEM to conduct business that is more efficient for the applicant and the agency,” DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan said in a statement. “The KeepSpace emphasis on environmental stewardship presented the perfect opportunity to implement this approach. The KeepSpace partners have embraced the streamlined approach and are excited about creating a new model for future projects.”
In May, Rhode Island Housing chose four projects to be the first examples of its $10 million KeepSpace planning initiative. That program called for proposals for mixed-use development projects where people could live, work and shop inclusively.
The developments are in Olneyville, Pawtucket, Westerly and Cranston.
Rhode Island Housing Executive Director Richard Godfrey said in a statement that the DEM’s action “embraces compromise.”
“DEM’s significant effort to streamline their permitting process is a perfect example of how we need to rethink the way we do things in Rhode Island,” he said. “We need to combine our skills, resources and expertise and come to the table thinking about the big picture. This is the only way we can efficiently maintain our state’s beauty while creating thriving communities.”
To learn more about the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, visit www.dem.ri.gov.
Rhode Island Housing is a self-sustaining state agency that offers loans, grants and consumer education to help Rhode Islanders obtain homes they can afford. To learn more, visit www.rhodeislandhousing.org.