Shapiro launches permit fast track program

(The Center Square) — The next step toward faster permits in Pennsylvania starts with a simpler application process.

So says Gov. Josh Shapiro, who traveled to Hazle Township in Luzerne County last week to sign an executive order launching the Pennsylvania Permit Fast Track Program, intended to improve efficiency for complex development projects in the commonwealth.

The press conference was held at the site of a newly completed warehouse developed by NorthPoint Development, a primary player in the Hazelnut Project, a 1,300-acre technology campus in Hazle Township that will house tech infrastructure.

“This new development will help PA continue to stay at the front of the pack when it comes to attracting jobs to the area,” said NorthPoint Vice President Brian Stahl.

The governor’s office hopes to shake off Pennsylvania’s reputation for red tape and slow starts. The Fast Track program should reduce the time it takes for projects, like the one in Hazle Township, to get off the ground and create jobs along the way.

The program tasks the Office of Transportation and Opportunity – another Shapiro administration creation via executive order – with overseeing complex high-impact economic development and infrastructure projects. Other work already underway includes the Bellwether District in Philadelphia and the Martinsburg Community Digester.

For initiatives within the program, the office serves as a shepherd, facilitating the connections, applications and studies required to move a project forward. Key to the program is a public-facing dashboard that shows progress on the work being done, providing increased transparency for stakeholders affected by ongoing development projects.

“Today’s executive order strengthens that critical partnership between private developers and permitting agencies, fostering a streamlined, transparent, and effective process,” Stahl said. “This collaboration accelerates investments, creates meaningful jobs, generates vital tax revenue, and further strengthens the economy for all Pennsylvanians.”

Hazleton’s Republican mayor, Jeff Cusat, spoke about the common ground he shares with the Democratic governor.

“Under my leadership, we’ve made critical updates to our code department, issuing thousands of permits and business licenses,” he said. “I’m glad to see the state also taking action to speed up their permitting processes.”

“It takes everyone working together to get a project like this over the finish line and the township has worked incredibly hard to make this a successful public-private partnership,” said Dr. Anthony Grigoli, chairman of the Township Supervisors Board for Hazle Township.

If the program can build upon the successes of earlier phases of the administration’s economic plan, which have dramatically slashed wait times in licensing and permitting processes across industries, officials believe the state can draw new business that may have been otherwise deterred by red tape.

Ben Kirshner, who leads the Office of Transportation and Opportunity, hopes to see the state perform more competitively.

“Speed and service are what companies care about,” he said.