City proposes to bifurcate site-permit process; commissioners press for clarity on appeals and fees

DBI officials presented an outline of proposed site-permit reforms on March 15 that would separate (bifurcate) the planning entitlement review from the building construction-document review. Deputy Director Neville Perera said the change is intended to make the entitlement stage a planning-driven, discretionary review while making the building permit phase more ministerial and timeline-driven to reduce review cycles and speed projects to construction.

Perera described process differences (planning would handle high-level massing, height, and exterior issues; building would handle full construction drawings, structural, mechanical and interior accessibility) and noted the planning department likely will need system upgrades (Acela enhancements) to accept planning permit intake and collect fees up front. He said the planning permit would create an entitlement certificate that signals readiness for construction-document review.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about appeals, nomenclature and the possibility of creating multiple appeal points. Deputy City Attorney Rob Capela said the objective is to maintain a single appeal point at the entitlement stage and to treat subsequent construction-document addenda as non-appealable alterations under the proposed structure; he said draft language and further charter analysis would be necessary to ensure the approach avoids creating new appeal rights. Commissioners also raised concerns about potential double-fee perceptions, staffing impacts, the need for clearer checklists to ensure quality submittals, and the required legislative changes to planning and building codes.

Director Patrick Reardon and DBI staff said work is ongoing, previewed a stakeholder meeting on April 19 and a joint Planning-BIC meeting on May 18, and emphasized additional outreach and draft language will be provided for review. Several commissioners urged caution, requested fiscal and staffing analyses, and asked for proposed wording on appeals to be circulated before the May meeting.

Next steps: DBI will continue stakeholder outreach, present draft language on appeals and code changes for review, produce fiscal/staffing impact analyses, and bring refined proposals to the April stakeholder session and the May 18 joint commission meeting.