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Q&A
Impact of staffing on project closings and application processing
0:25:00
ยท
128 sec
Council Member Salamanca inquires about the impact of staffing levels on project closings and application processing at DCP. Director Garodnick explains the steps taken to improve efficiency and speed up the process for private applications.
- DCP has implemented changes to move applications through the pipeline more quickly, including faster preliminary application statements and reduced feedback rounds
- The department has introduced a 'green fast track' for smaller, all-electric buildings to expedite environmental review
- Garodnick emphasizes that processing delays are more related to existing processes and environmental review laws rather than staffing issues
Rafael Salamanca
0:25:00
My question more is in terms of the closing of projects.
0:25:04
I know that when a developer wants to rezone or put in an application, they're waiting on DCP to close.
0:25:11
Is there a backlog in terms of closing of projects at DCP because of a staffing issue?
Dan Garodnick
0:25:17
So we have moved faster over the last couple of years because of a number of changes that we have put in place.
0:25:24
So it always has taken, in my view, longer than it should to get private applications through the pipeline at the Department of City Planning, and also even before they hit any official markers through the environmental review.
0:25:39
So we have made changes both internally at the department to speed up the process for private applicants, whether that is moving them quickly to a preliminary application statement when they come in and meet with us so that we're all on a clock together, or trying to resist the temptation to have multiple rounds of feedback.
0:26:02
We are trying to tighten that all up.
0:26:05
And you see that reflected through some very important metrics in the management report.
0:26:11
I will also note that, and I noted this in my intro, one way that we're trying to speed up the pre application process is to try to cut down environmental review times for those projects that do not have environmental impact, such as we have done in our green fast track.
0:26:28
All electric, smaller buildings, which we have seen over studying ten years do not have environmental impacts, now can pass through the environmental review, and that is savings of, you know, perhaps a hundred or $200,000 and or more, and also a significant amount of time.
0:26:48
So we are taking real steps to try to speed this all up, But to the extent that there is an issue here, it is not related to staffing, it is related to processes and also related to, you know, some of the the existing laws on environmental review, which make it very, very difficult for applicants to quickly get through the process.