SAN FRANCISCO Mayor Daniel Lurie introduced a series of regulatory reforms this week intended to speed up the process of obtaining permits in multiple areas, including construction, housing and small business operations.
The mayor unveiled a package of six ordinances that would allow residents to park in their own uncovered driveways, allow more uses of historic buildings, and make it easier to add accessory dwelling units, known as ADUs, to an existing home.
The new regulations would also reduce environmental review fees, and relax restrictions related to installing commemorative plaques and parking requirements for excavation work. They would also make it easier for restaurants with less than 50 seats to obtain a permit to remodel, according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
The effort to streamline and simplify the permitting process was a component of Lurie’s mayoral campaign. He has touted the changes as a way to both spur economic recovery after the slowdown following the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as making it easier to deal with the city’s bureaucracy.
The legislation introduced to the Board of Supervisors this week will build on customer service reforms and other changes that have already been implemented by the city’s permit agency, PermitSF, including extending hours, launching a centralized website, and standardizing procedures for obtaining complex permits from the city’s Department of Building Inspection, according to Lurie’s office.
“PermitSF has brought together a range of leaders and staff from all levels in San Francisco to work together and make vital change,” said PermitSF director Elizabeth “Liz” Watty, who also serves as the director of current planning. “We are continuing to push common-sense reforms that provide meaningful benefit to everyday San Franciscans as well as build a better foundation for a new wave of construction activity we hope to see in San Francisco,” Watty said.
The change to driveway rules came after years of residents complaining about the restriction, which prohibited vehicles from being parked in residential driveways without a screen or a fence between neighboring properties. The mayor’s office said 132 active complaints about neighbors violating the rules would be closed upon the change taking effect. The change does not permit sidewalks to be blocked.
Plaques commemorating history around the city will require fewer hearings, and the Department of Public Works will no longer require excavation permits to include parking plans, which is expected to save applicants $700, according to the legislation, which was sponsored by District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood.
A mandatory meeting with city staff for larger development projects will no longer be required and the review process for projects involving multiple city departments that need multiple reviews will be more standardized if more than three reviews are needed, which affects about 15% of permit applications.
The legislation also creates a new, more efficient process for applying for permits for rooftop solar panels and energy storage systems such as home batteries.
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