Kent Mayor Dana Ralph on Tuesday directed the city director of Economic and Community Development to use his authority under Kent City Code to extend all construction permits by 180 days.
Ralph took the action to give residential and commercial developers more time to navigate the challenges of COVID-19 as they continue development in the Kent community.
“By granting this extension it allows construction projects to navigate the new realities of COVID-19 without worrying about their permit expiring,” Ralph said in a statement. “I want to ensure that we protect workers, their health and safety as well the integrity of construction projects in Kent. This will give developers the time they need to ensure they put proper precautions into place to protect workers.
“I also want to ensure we continue quality development in Kent that will benefit our residents and businesses for decades to come. This will help those projects continue moving forward.”
At the end of the 180 period, the mayor and Kurt Hanson, Director of Economic and Community Development, will re-evaluate the situation and could extend the permit expiration for projects.
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