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Public Works launches bureau to streamline permitting, cites $6 billion infrastructure portfolio
Summary
Public Works introduced a new Bureau of Infrastructure and Development Permitting to centralize project management and permit review. The bureau oversees an Infrastructure Task Force and a Public Project Permits group and estimates about $6 billion in public-infrastructure construction under its purview.
San Francisco Public Works on April 10 introduced a new Bureau of Infrastructure and Development Permitting intended to speed permit reviews and coordinate large neighborhood-scale infrastructure projects.
Bureau Manager Denny Fan said the bureau is a compact team — about 15 people now — organized around two functions: an Infrastructure Task Force (ITF) that manages large development-agreement projects, and a Public Project Permits group that issues permits impacting the public right-of-way. Fan said the ITF now oversees more than 25 large development projects with an estimated total public-infrastructure construction value of about $6,000,000,000.
Fan described operational changes to streamline the permit process, including dedicated permit groups for public projects, private construction, and commercial permits; minimum completeness standards and pre-application checklists; migration to electronic plan review using Bluebeam; adoption of Clarity permit-tracking software; and public dashboards so applicants can monitor permit status. He said the reorganization allows staff to assign project managers to help resolve interagency conflicts and expedite reviews.
Commissioners pressed on staffing, measures of success and timelines. Fan said the bureau will set baselines for permit timelines by permit type and track reductions in review times as a primary metric, and that applicant feedback will also inform success measures. He listed staffing and cross-departmental technology adoption (licenses and training for Bluebeam) as the main near-term challenges.
Chair Lauren Post thanked staff and invited the bureau back in a year for a progress report. Fan said the bureau will continue to meet with frequent applicants, other city departments and the Mayor’s permit-SF initiative to apply lessons and reduce permit friction.
