(a)    The General Assembly finds that:

(1)    the varying and time consuming procedures in obtaining necessary development permits from local governments and State units placed onerous burdens on persons or governmental units undertaking development projects;

(2)    the former methods for permitting public comment on development projects were cumbersome and time consuming, placed undue hardship on members of the public, and inhibited the public’s ability to present its views to local governments and State units granting development permits; and

(3)    it is desirable to ensure prompt, reasonable, and decisive action on development permits and to provide for a consolidation of the fact-finding processes involved in issuing development permits to:

(i)    eliminate unnecessary delay, unreasonable expense, and duplication of effort in obtaining necessary development permits, in order to foster development projects that are in the economic, social, and environmental interest of the citizens of the State; and

(ii)    remove impediments to the effective expression of public comment on these development projects, in order to safeguard against the approval of development projects that are not in the economic, social, and environmental interest of the citizens of the State.

(b)    The purposes of this title are to coordinate and to expedite administrative decision making by:

(1)    consolidating application procedures to help those persons or governmental units that must obtain development permits from 1 or more local governments and State units;

(2)    consolidating hearings to help local governments and State units in obtaining all relevant information as to applications on which they must act; and

(3)    requiring action on all applications for development permits within a reasonable time, whether or not subject to consolidated procedures.