Why the Road Is Long

摘要

When I travel the Northeast Corridor, I have to make allowances for New York City. Do I want the George Washington Bridge or the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge? If I leave two hours early, I ask myself, can I beat the rush? In engineering licensing, as in road trips, New York is one of those places you just don't motor through. You have to plan for New York and negotiate the place on its own terms. Unfortunately, many industry firms have been caught in the regulatory equivalent of rush-hour traffic, idling while the gas runs out on the opportunity of a lifetime. They identify a prime project, apply for licenses and pour a ton of energy into research and preparation. Then months pass and the deadline for submission sails by while paperwork is still awaiting eyeballs at the state level. This happens all the time to AEC firms trying to enter difficult jurisdictions like New York. Currently, the New York Dept. of State is taking 17 to 18 weeks to approve business entity registrations for design and engineering firms. To make matters worse, they're rejecting more than 80% of applications, which means the clock of agony starts all over again. The number one reason for rejection? Failure to complete the paperwork correctly.