Baltimore officials outline permit-reform plan; administration commits near-term targets for staffing and third-party reviews

City officials outlined a package of operational changes, technology upgrades and pilot programs intended to speed permitting and development approvals in Baltimore and committed to several specific near-term steps in response to council questions.

Deputy Mayor Justin Williams, who presented an overview of the mayor’s Be More Fast initiative, described two central elements: creation of a director of permitting and development services (a cross-agency coordinator) and formation of a Be More Fast advisory group of private-sector and community stakeholders. "We can't control interest rates or global supply chains, but we can absolutely control how our own government operates," Williams said, adding that the administration has launched permit-stat tracking and moved the call center to improve customer service.

Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy told the committee the new ePermit system launched Feb. 3 and that the city issued just under 40,000 permits in 2024 (39,943), a 7.4% increase from 2021 to 2024. Kennedy said most construction permits processed in 2021–2024 were completed in 0–10 days, with a significant share in an 11–20 day range and a smaller number taking 91 days or more.…