Streamlined land development plan eyed

The first directive that Gov.-elect Benigno R. Fitial signs when he takes office in January may well be the creation of a task force that will streamline the permit application process for land development in the Commonwealth.

A draft directive was presented yesterday at a meeting among Fitial’s transition committee, the CNMI’s regulatory agencies, the outgoing administration, and the private sector.

The proposed directive, which will establish a land development task force, has been tentatively scheduled to become effective on Jan. 10, 2006—the day following Fitial’s inauguration.

According to the draft directive, businesses and local residents need an efficient decision-making process so they can minimize the time and expense of development, as well as manage the impacts on traffic, utilities, neighboring land uses, public safety, access to recreation areas and historic resources.

“Many federal and local laws and programs have been put in place to manage land development. However, these programs have been created as stand-alone systems, without adequate regard for the relationship to other existing programs, or to achieving a common vision of the future,” a portion of the draft directive read.

“Many different agencies have authority to develop plans for land development and to regulate the impacts of development. This leads to conflict, overlap and duplication, confusion, and in some cases, paralysis. The end result is that businesses have to waste time and money, the public interest is not protected, and the environment continues to degrade,” it added.

The task force that will address this problem will consist of representatives of the Coastal Resources Management Office, Department of Public Works, Division of Environmental Quality, Historic Preservation Office, Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Marianas Public Lands Authority, Commonwealth Ports Authority, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Saipan Zoning Board, and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce.

The group’s goals will be to recommend improvements in permit processing, land use planning, and permit compliance.

Transition committee chair Martin Manglona, who called for the meeting, said the plan includes the establishment of a one-stop permit application center and the improvement of coordination of land development plans and permit programs.