The Small City That Figured Out What Big Cities Can’t

Meet SPARK, Moorpark’s Secret Weapon for Getting Businesses Open Faster

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to open a new business, the answer might surprise you. Before a single door can open to customers, a business owner has to navigate a maze of permits, plan reviews, and approvals from multiple agencies - a process that can stretch on for months. All the while, rent is due on an empty space. That’s the reality for business owners in most cities.

But Moorpark decided to do something about it.

In 2025, the City of Moorpark’s Community Development Department launched the SPARK Program (Same-Day Permit Approval & Review Kickoff), an innovative approach to helping businesses get up and running faster than ever. And the results? Since launching SPARK has successfully fast-tracked permitting for nearly 15 businesses – and cities across Southern California are calling to find out how we’re doing it.

The Traditional Permitting Process

Let’s say a new restaurant wants to open in Moorpark – or any city, for that matter. Here’s what that process typically looks like in most places:

The business submits their plans to the City’s Planning Division, which has up to 10 business days to review and provide comments. The applicant then revises their plans based on those comments and resubmits. Planning reviews the updated plans and responds with any remaining comments. That’s just one division.

In the meantime, the same back-and-forth happens with the Building & Safety Division. Then, because Ventura County Fire Department is a county agency - not a city department - plans go to the County for fire review, which can carry a 4-6 week review period. The applicant addresses any comments, resubmits, and waits for the County’s subsequent review. For a restaurant, there’s also an Environmental Health review through the County, adding yet another review cycle. And if the business involves emissions or waste, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District gets involved too.

You can see how this adds up. A business owner could be paying months of rent on a space they can’t use yet.  They may also have to wait months before receiving corrections that drive additional scope and costs for their project.  Moreover, this extended timeframe can discourage and delay new business and investments in our community.

The SPARK Solution 

Moorpark solved this. With SPARK (Same-Day Permit Approval & Review Kickoff), the City invites the applicant and their architect or design team into a single one-hour meeting - at no additional cost beyond regular permit fees - alongside the Planning Division, Economic Development, Building & Safety, Ventura County Fire, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, and any other relevant agency. Everyone reviews the plans together, on the spot. Questions are asked directly to the applicant’s team, comments are addressed and revised in real time, and the business leaves the meeting either with approved plans or with clear conditions for approval.

What used to take months of back-and-forth now gets resolved in about an hour. 

How It All Started: Quantum Systems

The SPARK Program was born out of necessity. In 2025, Quantum Systems - a leading provider of AI-powered autonomous uncrewed aerial systems for defense, security, and commercial applications - needed to expand rapidly. The company was relocating from two existing buildings in Moorpark to a brand-new 135,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility at 609 Science Drive. With 85 employees and plans to grow to 100 by year’s end (and 250 by 2028), Quantum Systems didn’t have time for the traditional review process.

So we said, “Let’s make it happen.” The City brought all the necessary agencies together in one room and Quantum Systems left that meeting with a building permit. That experience became the blueprint for SPARK.

From City Hall to Ribbon Cutting in Five Months

You may have noticed Park Golf Lounge open recently in Moorpark - a 3,000-square-foot indoor golf entertainment facility. That business is a SPARK success story from start to finish.

The City’s Economic Development team helped Park Golf Lounge find a space that wasn’t even on the market. From there, the team guided them through their business plan, walked them through the permitting process, conducted a SPARK meeting, supported them through Planning Commission, and even assisted with hiring staff and marketing the business. From the day they walked into City Hall to final approval: two months.

So, What Happens if I Don’t Use SPARK to Open My Business?

Here's the good news: you're still in great hands. Moorpark's Building and Planning teams don't just talk about efficiency, the numbers back it up. In 2025, the Community Development Department completed 1,862 plan check reviews with a combined on-time rate of 89.2%, averaging just 5.03 working days per review, half the 10-working-day target. Building reviews were at 4.38 working days, and Planning at 5.69. This is an outstanding achievement!

So even without SPARK, our team moves fast. In fact, in many cases the standard review process wraps up so quickly that by the time a SPARK meeting can be coordinated with all outside agencies like Ventura County Fire, Air Pollution Control District, and others, our internal reviews are already done. That means whether you go through SPARK or the traditional route, you're getting a team that acknowledges your importance.

Of course, SPARK still shines when your project involves multiple agencies and you want everything resolved in a single room, in a single hour. But if your project is straightforward, rest assured, Moorpark's permitting team is already built for speed.

Open for Business

The SPARK Program has been used to attract businesses big and small, from local storefronts to international manufacturers – and we're just getting started. Dozens of cities across Southern California have reached out to learn how a small city is pulling this off. The truth is, we made a decision: being business-friendly isn't something we put on a brochure. It's who we are. It's in the way we show up, the way we bring every agency to the table, and the way we treat every business owner's dream like it matters – because it truly does.

SPARK is one tool that exists within an ecosystem at the City of Moorpark that is designed to advance investment, business, and opportunities for our community.  Whether you're a business owner opening a new shop or a manufacturer relocating to Moorpark – our team is here for you. Share your plans with the Economic Development Division, and we'll determine if your project qualifies for SPARK. Visit discovermoorpark.com/spark or call us at (805) 517-6253. If you've got the dream, we've got the team. We're ready to roll up the red tape and roll out the red carpet. Welcome to the Moorpark way of getting things done.

Learn More About SPARK!