A new online platform will allow users to submit and track applications to city land-use boards and commissions. The new system went live earlier this month with information from the city’s planning board and is expected to expand to include applications to the Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission and Tree Commission.

The platform developed by MuniCollab will digitize the entire land-use review process from initial applications to final decisions. Users, including the general public, applicants, city officials and board members, can track individual projects, access documents and see all actions by all involved commissions in one place. The platform, which was designed to work with the city’s new Kingston Forward form-based zoning code, includes both a list of projects currently before the planning board and an interactive map to locate projects.

The site lists 13 applications currently before the planning board ranging from a special use permit from a lot line deletion on First Avenue to a major renovation effort at the Kingston Housing Authority’s Colonial Gardens Complex and a proposed mixed-use development at 615 Broadway. Clicking on a project will bring up an entire history of the approval process and all submitted documents including deeds, site plans, renderings and responses by the board. The site also includes details of planning board meetings including agendas and minutes and detailed instructions on how to submit applications and documents.

City officials say the new platform will streamline the entire planning process for applicants and staff alike while bringing greater transparency. Supporters say the system will also make project management easier by collecting all information from various boards and commissions in one place and allow for better coordination between applicants and the city.

“The new planning review software is a welcomed addition to how we conduct business,” said Kingston Planning Board Chairman Wayne Platte Jr. “The process is simple to navigate for applicants and board members alike. The new site will certainly help streamline the submission process for applicants, allow planning board members to stay on top of projects between meetings and give the public easy access to view current projects.”

The new platform is the latest effort by the city to leverage technology to streamline the traditionally onerous planning and zoning process. The rollout of the new Kingston Forward zoning code last year was accompanied by a new website that offers users clear, step-by-step directions on how to win approval for projects in various zones. The city has also digitized building permits and code enforcement actions and invested in software to automatically scan short term rental platforms and automatically issue violations to those that do not comply with the city’s strict new registration requirements.