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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sean Campion, Director of Housing and Economic Development Studies at Citizens Budget Commission, on streamlining ULURP
0:15:16
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3 min
Sean Campion from the Citizens Budget Commission thanks the Charter Revision Commission for considering two of their previous recommendations to improve the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).
He offers a refined version of their third recommendation: streamlining ULURP by fast-tracking modestly sized projects and removing some non-zoning actions.
- For fast-tracking, he suggests ending review at the City Planning Commission for projects currently exempt from environmental review (e.g., 250 units or fewer in moderate/high-density districts).
- For removing non-zoning actions, he recommends exempting all non-zoning actions or, if prioritizing, exempting minor revocable consent and franchise agreements, otherwise as-of-right public projects, and special permits.
Sean Campion
0:15:16
Good evening.
0:15:17
Thank you for the opportunity to testify again.
0:15:18
I'm Sean Campion, director of Housing and Economic Development Studies at the Citizens Budget Commission.
0:15:23
In March, we testified about our three charter revision recommendations to improve the EULAR process.
0:15:29
And we want to thank the commission and staff for considering two of those in full in the preliminary report, combining BP and community board advisory reviews to shorten the process and establishing a EULAR appeals board.
0:15:40
Today, wanted to offer a refined version of our third recommendation, is streamline ULURP by fast tracking modestly sized projects and removing some non zoning actions from ULURP.
0:15:50
So first on fast tracking, we continue to recommend the fast track review ending with the City Planning Commission based on project size.
0:15:59
We had recommended exempting projects that are currently exempt for environmental review, which is two fifty units or fewer in moderate to high density districts and 175 units or fewer in low density districts.
0:16:10
Broad streamlining, we think it's better land use and housing policy than fast tracking only a small subset of subsized projects or only a subset of projects in neighborhoods that fail to meet fair housing goals.
0:16:20
Fixing the process for the widest scope of projects is needed to meaningfully increase production.
0:16:26
And the threshold based on project size has been for all types of residential development, including homeownership, mixed income, 100% affordable in all areas of the city where these types of modestly sized projects are not currently allowed as of right.
0:16:39
And it would also benefit the applications are most likely to be deterred by the cost and uncertainty of ULURP, the modestly sized project that staff analyzed in the preliminary report.
0:16:50
The second aspect is removing some of the non zoning actions from ULURP.
0:16:55
We recommend that all non zoning actions be exempt from ULURP instead of subject to administrative reviews.
0:17:02
But if the CRC were interested in prioritizing specific actions to streamline, we recommend three areas.
0:17:08
First, to be exempting minor revocable consent and franchise agreements.
0:17:12
City planning could define those similar to way they define distinguish major and minor revival consents or sorry, concessions, which would allow modest projects requiring consent of franchise agreements to move more quickly, while reserving full ULURP for those that require major land use or fiscal impacts.
0:17:29
The second is exempting otherwise as of right public projects.
0:17:34
Exempting all public actions that don't require zoning changes from UOP is preferable, but especially critical for those below a certain size.
0:17:40
For example, we think the city should be able to acquire land for a small park or public library without requiring a full review process.
0:17:46
And this wouldn't diminish the council's role either, they would still weigh in through projects through the city's budget process, and for large projects which require multiple approvals and zoning changes, still go through the full yield review.
0:17:59
And third would be to exempt special permits, which are administrative, not legislative actions.
0:18:04
They've already been enacted by the city council, and the city planning commission is administering them according to conditions placed already in the zoning resolution.
0:18:12
Many of these permits apply to otherwise Azerbai public projects, and there may be alternative ways to categorize these permits.
0:18:20
We can provide additional recommendations to the commission on specifically how to streamline those.
0:18:24
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
0:18:25
I look forward to any questions you have.
0:18:27
Good