DBI outlines plan to separate planning and construction permit reviews in site‑permit reform

Deputy Director Neville Pereira presented the Building Inspection Commission with an update on the site permit reform project, describing a multi‑phase effort to separate planning entitlements from construction document review so that planning certifies a project’s massing and discretionary approvals before the building permit intake.

Pereira said the proposed process would give applicants a discrete planning decision — a ‘‘golden ticket’’ — that would speed subsequent construction permitting. He described benchmarking in other Bay Area jurisdictions and said the proposed model would keep simple and moderate projects largely as today while changing procedures for complex projects that require substantial planning review.

Commissioners asked detailed operational and legal questions: when the applicable building code would be locked in, whether bifurcation would create or remove appeal points, how agencies would share preliminary agency reviews, and what training and technology updates would be needed to avoid fee duplication. Deputy City Attorney Rob Capel warned the group that bifurcation implicates local charter provisions and the California building code, and that the change could alter the date used to determine which building code applies to a project.

Pereira and staff said planning would perform earlier outreach to other departments during the initial deemed‑complete process so that preliminary agency comments are available within the first 30 days. He also said DBI plans to keep over‑the‑counter and many moderate submittals quick while reserving a more elaborate joint review for complex projects.

No formal action was taken; commissioners requested further detail, training plans, fee and technology implications, and suggested a future joint session with the Planning Commission to work through legislative and operational changes.