Consultant Recommendations

Applicants often request that we recommend a consultant to assist them with permit applications. Unfortunately, we are not comfortable providing recommendations for consultants. We do not have an agreed upon system for evaluating consultants.

Staff can, upon request, provide the name of several local consultants which regularly appear before the board and have experience in the relevant area. This information is not, however, an endorsement or a recommendation of those consultants’ work nor is it a criticism of the other consultants who are available and qualified to do this work.

In hiring a consultant, you might want to consider:
1. The consultant’s expertise in the technical area for which you are requesting help.
2. The consultant’s experience with Northampton's standards and boards.
3. The consultant’s references.
4. The consultant’s track record receiving permit approvals at its FIRST Conservation Commission hearing. Except for large projects, the MAJORITY of projects are approved on the first night they are presented to a board. A consultant whose record does not reflect this MAY be taking short cuts or submitting incomplete applications, which will slow the process. They may also, however, just specialize in difficult projects.