SAN FRANCISCO, March 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI), and the San Francisco Permit Center on Wednesday released data documenting a 28 percent decrease in Over-the-Counter (OTC) building permit application processing times in February 2022 compared to the same time last year.
During February, 60 percent of OTC customers got their building permits within two business days of submitting an application, the announcement said.
By streamlining the process for building permits, the city can help reduce the time and cost for construction across the city, it added.
"Our city government needs to ensure we're delivering on the basic services that residents expect," said Breed. "By creating a one-stop permit center and bringing together the multiple departments involved in this process, we've made it easier for people to get their permits and get started on their project. We're going to keep looking for ways to build on this progress."
"We remember the earlier days when our teams were reviewing documents outdoor in the parking lot at the height of COVID," said Rebecca Villareal-Mayer, director of the San Francisco Permit Center.
Over-the-Counter permits accounted for 94 percent of all building permits issued in February 2022 and cover most construction work, according to the announcement. ■