Community calls for more collaboration between Lane County and home builders

Walter said that there are many steps to obtaining a permit, and you need to have a team of professionals such as engineers, truss manufacturers and builders to make an application to the county.

He said that can take months to get approved.

What will rebuilding look like in lane county?

Many are longing to know, as community members are rushing to find out what's left of their homes and businesses.

Kezi 9 news reporter kennedy dendy is live in lane county after speaking with contractors and home builders about what's to come.

Kennedy?

Questions about permits and when rebuilding can begin have been fresh on the minds of many.

Those i spoke to today tell me they just wish the county would speed things up when it comes to giving the green light to rebuild.

Hundreds of homes will need to be replaced as a result of the wildfires.

Tom walter is the president of the homebuilders association of lane county and the owner of walter custom homes.

He says that with high construction costs -- this will take a lot of time, but something than*can be done, if people just work together.

But there's also a major need for labor to build these homes, so hiring also needs to be made a priority.

"my first fear was that in the county right now we have a hard time doing anything.

You take an environment where we can't build the houses right now that we need to build.

We have a housing shortage county wide.

How are we going to build another 400 houses in the last 3 years to replace what's happened from this fire?

I have no idea."

He says that there are*many steps to obtain a permit-- because you need an entire team from engineers to truss manufacturers before you can make an application to the county-- and that can take months to get approved.

I did reach out to lane county officials who said that any changes to the permit process will need to be discussed with the board of commissioners, as they progress through fire response.

Live in lane