Starting Wednesday the City of Manteca is taking the equivalent of a high-tech buzz saw to red tape in a bid to get plan checks approved and building permits issued quicker for construction projects.
Besides slashing the time involved in processing routine homeowners’ projects, it allows the city in essentially real time to work with applicants on major projects to go over changes and modifications on endeavors such as large commercial projects when hundreds of new employment opportunities are at stake.
It is how Lathrop was nimble enough to get plans approved working with a Texas development firms for the new Wayfair distribution center in a handful of days instead of weeks or months.
Speedy plan check processing reduces time for everyone from homeowners to developers. Quick and thorough plan checks are becoming more crucial in landing employers from distribution centers to commercial endeavors. By allowing quicker turnarounds it reduces development costs given almost all commercial investments involves borrowed money meaning the longer it takes to open the doors for business on a new project, the more it costs as interest piles up.
City Manager Miranda Lutzow noted the system would even allow Manteca officials to work with a firm based in England to communicate back and forth on plans in real times instead of shipping plans back and forth or delivering them in person every time a modification is made or a question is raised.
The new online system means homeowners with simple projects such as re-roofing, electrical system replacement, water softener installation, water heater replacement of heating/air conditioning permit requests can use ‘eSuite’ to speed up the process. Visit https://bit.ly/3ga5YK2 for more information.
All other plan reviews for building projects requiring permits will be able to be processed from the ‘goPost’ platform. The system allows the applicant and city staff to track, route, and issue permits more efficiently and without paper. Visit https://bit.ly/3ga5YK2 for more information.
Inspection requests, previously utilizing voicemail or emails, will now be through the ‘eSuite’ site. Through this site you will be able to view all of your permits, request inspections for the following day or event weeks in advance, view inspection results, see who your inspector is, allow you to provide inspection notes, and more. Visit https://bit.ly/2BOaWxq for more information on inspection request procedures, account activations, walkthroughs and more.
The city’s Building Safety website at https://bit.ly/3dMOstQ has been updated to include new fillable applications, forms, documents, revised handouts, videos, and more. If you have any questions or suggestions on this new process contact the city’s Building Safety team at (209) 456-8550 or MantecaPermits@mantecagov.com.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
