Kingston Leads the Way: City Transforms Land-Use Review with MuniCollab Platform

The City of Kingston, New York has officially adopted MuniCollab’s digital platform for their Planning Board, Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission, and Tree Commission, marking a significant milestone in the city’s efforts to modernize their land-use review process. The adoption has generated positive coverage and praise from city officials, demonstrating the real-world impact of purpose-built municipal technology.

Streamlining Complex Processes

Kingston’s implementation represents everything MuniCollab was designed to achieve. As Mayor Steve Noble explained in a recent radio interview, “Our previous website was just a place to put PDFs. It became really confusing about which documents were the most up-to-date, how do we access these documents.” The new platform eliminates this confusion by providing a centralized, transparent system where all stakeholders can access current information.

City of Kingston Mayor Steve Noble sat down with MuniCollab Co-Founder Abe Uchitelle and City of Kingston Planning Director Sue Cahill to discuss the City’s implementation of MuniCollab on Radio Kingston.

The transformation has been particularly notable in how it handles zoning information. Planning Director Sue Cahill highlighted a key feature: “When you are completing the application and you’re putting in the project location [the application] automatically generates the zoning that you’re in so the applicant can just soar through those pieces, and we know they’re accurate, which is really nice.”

Positive Reception and Implementation Success

The rollout has exceeded expectations. Mayor Noble noted, “We’ve rolled out a variety of different softwares in the city and some have been really complicated to roll out, but I have to say the roll-out of this program has been super great. We were able to go from contract signing right into it.”

This smooth implementation is particularly significant given Kingston’s ambitious development goals. As Mayor Noble shared, “We have a goal of getting 1,000 housing units approved by 2029. We also have a goal of planting 1,000 trees by 2030. Having a smoother submission process is one of the things the city can do to help support economic growth or help people do the right thing with sustainability. We should at least make the process easier.”

Media Coverage and Public Response

The adoption has garnered positive coverage from local media, with both the Kingston Wire and Daily Freeman featuring stories about the new platform. Kingston Wire noted that the system “digitizes the entire land-use review process from initial applications to final decisions,” while emphasizing the enhanced transparency and public accessibility.

Planning Board Chairman Wayne Platte Jr. praised the system’s usability: “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.”

Looking Forward

The enthusiasm from developers and applicants has been particularly encouraging. As Mayor Noble observed, “The developers we talk to are excited that we’ve adopted a new platform. They’re not going to get some arcane process now.” He added, “The planning department is now in the 21st century, potentially even heading into the next century. I think it’s that good.”

Kingston’s successful adoption demonstrates how the right technology can transform municipal operations while serving the community’s long-term development and sustainability goals. The positive reception from all stakeholders—staff, board members, applicants, and the public—validates MuniCollab’s approach to modernizing land-use review processes.