1. Pre-Submittal Meetings…A Priceless Service at the Right Price... FREE!

By: Rick Cabrera, Professional Engineer II

Navigating a new site construction project through Hillsborough County’s permitting process is sometimes a daunting task, even for the seasoned and well-informed professional. With all of the various regulatory agencies in one place (state and local), the Pre-Submittal Meeting should be an essential part of your due diligence when proposing to develop property. Be it a subdivision, shopping center or a corner drug store, the information from a Pre-Submittal Meeting can save you time and money, since as they say, “Time is money!”

For those not familiar with a Pre-Submittal Meeting, it really means much more than the name implies. To participate, you must first complete an application which can be found on the County’s website for site development orfor subdivision construction, depending on what type of development you propose. The great thing about the Pre-Submittal Meeting application process is that everything can be handled “on-line.” In this fashion, someone wanting to schedule a Pre-Submittal Meeting does not have to drive downtown and find a parking space. This is especially helpful for those wishing to do business in the county, but who are not currently “in” the county.

A quick look at the Pre-Submittal Meeting application package shows just how simple it is to not only schedule the meeting, but how little time it takes to complete the application. Since most people looking to develop a property already have a general idea of what they want to do and how they want to do it, completing this form and compiling the supporting information is relatively easy. Once we have the application and a meeting time is set, that’s when the real work begins.

The application and supporting materials are distributed electronically to the various departments throughout the County government. These departments include, but are not limited to: Natural Resources, Stormwater, Zoning, Utilities, Transportation, Site Engineering, the Fire Department, EPC & others. Using the documentation from the “Pre-Submittal Meeting” application, representatives from each department compile information specific to the subject site. This information includes:

• Natural Resources requirements, tree preservation data, screening and buffering options
• Stormwater design criteria, floodplain locations
• Zoning set-back data, allowable uses for the site, parking requirements, buffer locations
• Utilities availability and design criteria
• Transportation impact concerns and the potential need for impact mitigation like turn lanes and traffic signals
• Site Engineering considerations like site access locations, traffic movement within the site, and sidewalks
• Fire Department design requirements for site access and circulation, water supply, building fire protection
• EPC (Environmental Protection Commission) requirements for wetland delineation and protection

All this information is compiled in preparation for the meeting with the applicant and their design professional. Each of the disciplines above sends a representative to the meeting to present their information to the applicant and to answer the applicant’s questions. It is this preparation that makes the meetings so useful and productive, because the staff can then speak of the requirements specific to the project and not in generalities.

The meetings are held weekly on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, with each applicant being allotted a 20-minute window to discuss their project. The individual 20-minute meetings are efficient and productive, as all the attendees are familiar with the project and the information relative to it. At the end of each 20 minute meeting, the applicant is told what kind of application process they will follow and is given a detailed checklist to assist with submitting a permit application for their project. The information provided to the applicant is typically good for six months and is held on file, along with the Pre-Submittal Meeting information generated by PGM staff.

These Pre-Submittal Meetings have been a staple of the Planning and Growth Management Department for years. While a voluntary step for the applicant in the County’s review process, most applicants have made them a base requirement in their project management due diligence. While not a substitute for their own detailed research, the Pre-Submittal Meeting can sometimes spotlight conditions or requirements that the applicant may have inadvertently overlooked. Any such oversight could set a project schedule back many months for correction, or even cancellation! In conclusion, a 20-minute Pre-Submittal Meeting could mean the difference between success or failure for your project.