For many small-scale, incremental developers, the hardest step in a development project isn’t swinging a hammer or drawing a site plan; it’s figuring out where to start. The barrier isn’t just money or land. It’s the wall of zoning codes, permitting processes, and formal applications that seem designed for large projects with deep pockets.
Incremental developers want to do the right thing: follow the code, respect setbacks, comply with zoning, and contribute small but meaningful investments to their community. Too often, the process they face is overwhelming:
- Applications require plan drawings that are 90% complete before city staff will review them. Formal reviews need this level of detail to determine full compliance with the code. This means applicants have to pay architects, engineers, and consultants just to find out whether a project is feasible and aligned with all applicable development standards.
- Codes are complex, and trying to interpret them without staff guidance feels like flying blind. This struggle is compounded when trying to navigate the required permits necessary to receive the approval to start.
- Staff often say, “bring us a finished project,” leaving small developers with few entry points. Incomplete applications bog down the process and disproportionately use staff time on a project that may never be built.
For someone working on a single lot or a small building, this kind of process is a high-stakes gamble. The result is discouragement. Instead of a steady stream of local builders shaping neighborhoods, cities unintentionally filter for only the biggest players.
The Response: Bentonville’s Free 30-Minute Appointments
In Bentonville, Arkansas, the planning department has taken a simple, innovative step: they offer free, 30-minute appointments with planning staff.
These aren’t formal pre-application conferences. They’re quick, focused conversations designed to:
- Clarify zoning and setback restrictions.
- Answer questions about what can be built where.
- Help applicants prepare before spending serious money on drawings or consultants.
- Provide a structured, professional way to get guidance — either in person or online.
- Free up the formal application pipeline and staff resources from initial discoveries.
This small change matters because it balances the needs of both sides of the table.
For developers:
- Lowers the barrier to entry. Small developers, homeowners, and entrepreneurs can get answers and direction from city staff before they’ve invested thousands into formal plans.
- Provides confidence. Applicants leave with clarity on what’s required, making their formal submissions stronger and faster to review.
For cities:
- Prevents wasted staff time. Incomplete or poorly aligned applications require reviewers to invest hours of work just to return the plans and ask for major revisions.
- Keeps the system moving. When staff are bogged down in incomplete applications, everyone’s review time stretches out. By addressing key questions early, cities can shorten timelines and keep projects flowing.
- Raises professionalism. Instead of hallway conversations or scattered emails, cities can channel applicant questions into a formal but lightweight process, ensuring consistency and transparency.
The result is a more efficient system where staff time is focused on projects that are ready, and developers are set up for success before they file.
That first step — accessible, low-cost, and professional — is often the difference between a project that starts and a project that dies on the drawing board.
If you’re a city planner, consider what a free 30-minute appointment could do in your community. You don’t need new software or big budgets. You just need to open a little time each week for early conversations. The payoff is enormous.
If you’re an incremental developer, ask your city for this kind of access. The earlier we lower barriers to entry, the more likely we are to see neighborhoods shaped by many hands instead of a few big players.
Cities everywhere are searching for ways to support small-scale development. Bentonville’s approach shows that sometimes the most powerful reforms aren’t grand or expensive. They’re simple, human, and available to anyone who asks: “Can I get 30 minutes of your time?”
Learn other strategies for supporting small-scale developers in the new housing toolkit "Who Will Build the Housing-Ready City?" Inside, you'll find concrete advice, case studies, and key metrics to track.
