CB2 land use committee opposes charter changes that would shorten public-review timelines

The Land Use Committee reported to the executive committee on draft recommendations from two city charter revision commissions — one convened by the mayor and one by the City Council — and said several proposals could reduce the community board’s role in land-use review.

Committee members identified specific concerns: proposals to shrink review windows (from 90 days to 60) and to create a “fast track” for small or community‑benefit projects could be insufficiently defined and risk curtailing public input. The committee said it generally supports public review and argued longer review periods are necessary for complex rezonings and large projects.

The committee’s draft resolution opposes elements that would reduce local review, flags ambiguities (for example, what constitutes a “small” project or “community benefit”), and expresses skepticism about proposals that could streamline approvals primarily to ease developers’ processes.

Committee members said they had consulted outside counsel and planning experts, and highlighted that CB2 already performs many of the administrative functions the commissions propose making mandatory for boards. They also noted a related state‑level proposal that would allow competing resolutions on the same ballot, complicating the reform landscape.

Why it matters: Charter revisions could change the city’s land‑use timeline and the scope of local participation in zoning changes; the committee urged caution and clearer definitions before reducing existing review time.