DECD Office of the Permit Ombudsman

Maya LoewenbergPermit Ombudsman

om·buds·man

noun \ˈäm-ˌbu̇dz-mən, ˈȯm-, -bədz-, -ˌman; Someone “ who investigates complaints and mediates fair settlements,

especially between aggrieved parties”

DECD Office of the Permit Ombudsman

DECD Office of the Permit Ombudsman

• Public Act 10-158 enacted in 2010 requires expedited permitting for economic development projects that need environmental, public health and transportation permits

• Creation of the Office of the Permit Ombudsman within DECD to coordinate the permitting process

DECD Office of the Permit Ombudsman

• Create 50 jobs in enterprise zones or 100 such jobs elsewhere in the state;

• Clean up and develop brownfields;

• Compatible with responsible growth;

• Transit-oriented development;

• Green businesses

• State Funded Projects

Qualifying Projects

• Disposal sites for solid, biomedical, or hazardous wastes;

• Produce electricity;

• Extract natural resources;

• Produce oil;

• Construct, maintain, or operate an oil, petroleum, natural gas, or sewage pipeline.Unless the Commissioner decides they qualify based on the economic factors

Excluded Activities

The Expedited Permitting Process

• How does the office expedite the process?

• MOU that allows partner agencies (DOT, DEEP and DPH) to “waive or modify the applicable procedural rules prescribing forms, fees, procedures or time limits for the review or processing of permit applications...”

State Agency Permit Liaisons

•DOT, OSTA : Mr. David Sawicki

•DEEP: Mr. Robert Hannon

•DPH: Ms. Ellen Blaschinski

The Expedited Permitting Process

• How does the office receive inquires?

• CT DECD Website

• CERC and CT-CLIC

• State funded projects

• Developer encounters a problem obtaining a permit and is looking for help

• Trader Joe’s retail store expansion, Stamford: 80 jobs

• New store at the former Borders Books location• Ran into a roadblock with ConnDOT • Requested assistance in expediting Encroachment Permit• Need to modify internal review process, improve coordination,

eliminate redundancies;

Permitting Assistance Examples

Permitting Assistance Examples

• Eppendorf Expansion, Enfield: 150 Jobs• OSTA: Certificate of Operation• DEEP: Inland Wetlands and Watercourse permit

• Lee Company, Westbrook: 300 Jobs• DEEP: Wastewater Discharge• OSTA: Certificate of Operation

• Dollar Tree, Windsor: 100 Jobs• DEEP: Remediation• OSTA: Certificate of Operation

• Barnum Landing, Bridgeport: up to 200 Jobs• DEEP: Harbor Management Plan Amendment

Remediation, ELUR, Seawall COP• DOT: Encroachment Permit & OSTA

Permitting Timeframe Comparison

• Actual timeframe for permits without assistance vs. with assistance

Project Permit Without Assistance

With Assistance

Powder Ridge Dredging 172 days 60 days

Lee Company STC 90 days 20 days

Buchanan Marine

BulkheadReplacement

676 days 122 days

Inner Circle Fresh Foods

OSTACertificate

60 days 21 days

State Government Transformation

• State is leaner and cost-effective

• A pending legislation -An Act Eliminating Unnecessary

Government Regulation- is the result of public review efforts Governor initiated in October 2013 through Executive Order No. 37

• As part of E-Regs project all state agency regulations available on line at www.ct.gov/eregulations

Improve the Regulatory Environment

LEAN approach being used in most Agencies

• Reduced processes from 10-80%

DOT Highlights:• Obtaining STC permit was time consuming, unpredictable and confusing

• Changes to the Review and approval processes

• STC replaced with a new Office of the State Traffic Administration (OSTA)

• Application process- reduced from 81 to 14 steps (83%)

DEEP Highlights:

• Reduced the processing for permit applications by 74%

• UST Inspections – reduced from 47.6 days to 1.4 hours

• Long Island Sound Certificate for Permission – reduced from 53 days to 26 days

• E-File of Industrial Storm Water General Permit saves 200 staff hours

Priority Development Sites

Raised Bill No. 485• Any municipality may designate municipally owned parcels of

land that are zoned for commercial or industrial use as priority development sites to encourage economic development

• The priority development sites will be eligible for the expedited review of permit applications

• Similar to “Certified Sites ” or “Shovel Ready “ or nearly permit ready programs that create inventory of sites ready for development in a short time frame

State –owned brownfield properties

•In 2011, PA 11-1, An Act Promoting Economic Growth and Job Creation in the State directed DECD to identify state-owned brownfields that could be candidates for redevelopment

•Assembly authorized up to $20 M of bond allocations to support the clean up

• Legislation has been proposed in the current session by Senate leadership which would require to clean up at least three state-owned sites regardless of whether an end user has been identified

Revitalizing Connecticut’s Brownfields

Tim Sullivan, Director of Waterfront, Brownfield and Transit-Oriented Development

The Connecticut Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development (OBRD)

Public Act 06-184 established OBRD as a one-stop resource for brownfield development in Connecticut

• Who we are: economic development professionals, environmental analysts, engineers and construction specialists

We Are in the Solutions Business

Financial Assistance

Technical Assistance

and Project

Management

Permitting Assistance and

Inter-Agency Coordination

About OBRD

• The Mission of the Connecticut Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development is to return brownfield sites across the state to productive re-use, including residential, industrial, commercial, retail, mixed-use and open space uses

• OBRD can assist nearly every participant in a potential redevelopment project – except the Responsible Party

• OBRD strives to provide the highest standards of customer service and responsiveness

• “Government at the speed of Business”

• Since 2006, OBRD has invested $50m of State resources in 60+ projects• Private partners have contributed $4.28 for every State dollar

OBRD Financial Assistance: Grants

OBRD administers a Municipal Grant Program (MGP)• Eligible Applicants: Municipalities and economic development

agencies• Municipalities may use funding to make a low-interest loan to a

developer

• Funding Amounts: Grants of up to $4 million• Grants are reimbursement-based

• Application Process: Municipal Grants are awarded on a competitive basis through periodic funding rounds

• Next round of funding expected in June 2014

OBRD Financial Assistance: Loans

OBRD administers a Targeted Brownfield Development Loan Program (TBDLP)

• Eligible Applicants: Potential brownfield purchasers and current owners (including municipalities)

• Funding Amounts: Loans of up to $2 million

• Terms: Low-interest, flexible/deferred interest; maximum 20-year term

• Application Process: Loans are awarded in a “rolling rounds” process• Applications are batched and reviewed on February 1, April 1,

July 1, October 1• At the discretion of the Commissioner, applications will be

considered for funding outside of this schedule

Eligible Uses of DECD Funding

Costs associated with the investigation and re-development of a brownfield, including but not limited to:

• Soil, groundwater and infrastructure investigation

• Assessment

• Remediation

• Abatement

• Hazardous materials or waste disposal

• Long-term groundwater or natural attenuation

• Other institutional controls

• Attorneys fees

• Planning, engineering and environmental consulting

• Building and structural issues

• Environmental insurance

Success Stories: Two Roads Brewery, Stratford

Success Stories: Two Roads Brewery, Stratford

$500K OBRD Grant; $20m+ total private investment

Success Stories: Harbor Point, Stamford

Success Stories: Harbor Point, Stamford

$9.5m of OBRD loans/grants; Billions of private investment

Conclusion: The Solutions Business

“Investing in these redevelopment efforts is smart policy—we create jobs and thriving communities, expand our tax base, and clean up pollution in Connecticut.” – Gov. Malloy

• Our team will work with you to develop a customized solution to the challenges facing your site

• OBRD has the experience and resources to help solve even the most complex redevelopment challenges

• How We Can Help:• Financial Assistance• Technical Assistance• Permitting and Inter-Agency Coordination

DECD Office of the Permit Ombudsman

Q&A

Maya.Loewenberg@ct.gov Office of the Permit Ombudsman

www.ctbrownfields.gov

brownfields@ct.gov