Planning and Zoning requests staff additions to speed permitting, committee gives favorable recommendation to Maryland Hall fee relief

Chris Jakubiak, director of Planning and Zoning, told the Finance Standing Committee on April 23 that the department has refocused operations to speed permit reviews, is proposing several new or restored positions, and is expanding enforcement capacity for short‑term rentals and property maintenance.

Jakubiak said the department has doubled plan‑review capacity with the hire of a second building plans reviewer and that permit throughput has improved: “We increased our, we doubled our capacity to handle permits,” he said, and reported the office issues roughly 21 permits on average each week. He described a continuing, citywide push to implement the comprehensive plan through rezoning and noted the Tyler Road corridor as an active workstream.

Why it matters: Planning and Zoning proposed staffing enhancements and fee changes the department says will be revenue‑neutral over time by tying increased permit and licensing fees to enforcement and service capacity. Committee members focused on short‑term rentals, property maintenance in subsidized housing, and financial transparency for downtown programs.

Key points

- Staffing and organizational changes: Jakubiak outlined three proposed new positions in the mayor’s budget: a zoning and enforcement planner, an administrative assistant to support the director’s office and an additional property maintenance inspector. He said the department previously shifted a staffer to focus on public housing issues, creating a gap in routine property maintenance inspections that the inspector request is intended to fill.

- Permitting and small business permitting innovations: The department said it is improving customer service and…