As part of efforts to make Alexandria more attractive to small businesses and entrepreneurs, the city manager is recommending changes to the town’s process for issuing permits. Business owners and the chamber of commerce have complained about cumbersome procedures tying up changes such as putting outdoor tables at a restaurant. They are particularly critical of the process for the special use permits required for many kinds of businesses.

These permits normally take 42 to 82 days to process, according to the city’s application instructions. The bureaucracy has led to a regional perception that Alexandria is not business friendly, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Director Rick Dorman said.