The title on the package reads Dream Builder, but it could just as easily be referred to as software with a can-do attitude. "As far as we can tell, there’s not another similar product on the market, but we’re marketing it more as a service rather than a product to put in the shopping bag and take home," says Mike Grassinger, a partner in Tucson’s Planning Center consulting firm.

Awarded "Most Innovative New Product" accolades by the Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association, the Dream Builder software allows a variety of interested parties to review standards, evaluate designs, and make better-informed decisions on new home communities. "Simply put," says sales and marketing spokesman Aaron Einfrank, "It allows builders placement flexibility and saves city planners from headaches caused by manual permit review." The 30-some-odd members of The Planning Center figure their recent innovation is all part of a days work built around their mission statement of "designing the future by planning for success" when it comes to community growth and land development challenges.

"We got started on solving some of these problems via software when Marana instituted residential design standards for their homebuilders," said Grassinger. It was trial and error at the start, but the product now works well and was purchased a year ago by the Town of Marana, Ducote Homes, and Standard Pacific before the current market went south.

"The slow-down has given us time to focus and refine what the program does and how it does it. We do think there’s a use for it in the public sector and its something that can be modified for other applications, especially for homeowners associations that need to track changes to comply with changing regulations."

As currently configured using Environmental Systems Research Institute’s geographical information systems technology, Dream Builder, developed in 2005, comes in three packages.

The Jurisdiction package provides review staff with a mechanism to check building permit compliance. Software incorporates information from local jurisdictions and individual subdivisions to help evaluate multiple building permit applications. Jurisdiction is designed to streamline the process of building permit review by city planning departments, reducing an average 15 minute job down to under 30 seconds.

The Sales Office version is for use at a homebuilder’s point of sale, guiding home buyers through lot selection, model, and floor plan and which lots within a development can accommodate their plan. Sales Office then assists in placement of the home on the chosen lot before automatically modifying the parameters of all other lots in the subdivision so all information will always be up-to-date. This package ensure that building permit applications will meet the requirements, avoiding resubmittals, and saving both time and money.

Home builders working with potential buyers were not forgotten either in an application called Dream Builder myHome. This is a web-based interactive floor plan tool taking only seconds for potential home buyers to flip a floor plan, add room reconfigurations or upgrades, move components, and even customized furniture options. Sales agents can visually show real time room options to the client who can leave the showroom with exact floor plans in hand.

Planning Center personnel refer to their software concept as design navigation, "specifically programmed to streamline the evaluation of design standards and virtually eliminate any of the traditional complications." That works for Grassinger and his team. "We’re tweaking the program now based on national surveys and active marketing that show lots of interest in other potential markets." Some of those markets include Phoenix and larger cities in California, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah, according to Einfrank, who adds, "The slowdown in the new homebuilding market is viewed as a temporary condition and in this tough market climate, our software is the perfect solution for a builder seeking a competitive edge over rival firms."