Special to Iredell Free News

The Town of Mooresville’s Planning & Community Development Department has added a new software program, idtPlans, that will make the plan and permit submittal process faster and more convenient for applicants.

Danny Wilson, the town’s Planning & Community Development director, explained that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the submission process was done both in person and on paper. With the changes that the pandemic brought on regarding face-to-face interactions, town officials decided it was time to re-evaluate how they could make submitting electronic plan and permit requests a reality.

“After researching the various electronic permitting software options, we elected to go with idtPlans, which will increase efficiency for our applicants and allow for better feedback throughout the review process,” said Wilson. “The software allows us to review the plans, mark them up, and send detailed comments to applicants, while providing clear guidance on the project’s next steps. Applicants will also receive notifications automatically as their plans move through each part of the process, keeping them better informed about their project’s status.”

The program will be rolled out in phases, with phase one starting on April 1. This phase includes zoning permits, sign permits, and commercial upfits, which represents a large portion of permits and applications submitted to the department.

Phase two, which will begin in May, will include land development applications, such as sketch plan, concept plan, and site plan, as well as rezoning applications. Phase three, rolling out in June, will incorporate all of the remaining application types, as well as code compliance.

During April, applicants may choose to submit zoning permits, sign permits, and commercial upfit applications on paper or online.

On May 1, the option will change to online only through the Town’s website at mooresvillenc.gov/Planning-Community-Development.

Tutorials are also available for the program by clicking the idtPlans tab on the town’s planning webpage, which will lead to the idtPlans site and the “support” tab.