Mayor O’Connor Announces Updates for Phase 1 of Comprehensive Permitting Reforms
Pittsburgh, PA – Today, Mayor Corey O’Connor announced the implementation of the first phase of his administration’s comprehensive permitting and zoning reform. The Phase 1 implementation comes less than nine months since Mayor O’Connor signed an Executive Order on his first day in office directing departments to review and transform the permitting process to deliver a clear, predictable and efficient process for small business owners, homeowners and permit applicants.
“The City of Pittsburgh is completely rebuilding our permit system so that it works for the small business owners, homeowners and residents who are putting in the work to grow and add vibrancy to our city,” said Mayor O’Connor. “This first phase of improvements will help applicants spend less time waiting and more time getting projects done. People doing routine home improvements used to have to wait over a week to get their permit and now will get that permit in as little as one business day.”
Phase 1 reforms focus on streamlining the intake process for both the applicant and City staff so that projects are considered based on their size and complexity, moving simple or routine permits through more quickly than complex projects. Some of the key improvements implemented in this phase include:
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EZ Permits: The City is launching a fast lane for 15 routine residential and commercial permit types that do not require design review, enabling eligible applicants to get their permits within one business day.
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Virtual Inspections: Videochat inspections will be available for 13 eligible residential permit types, so homeowners can have more flexibility in scheduling and can get an appointment in as soon as two days.
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Revamped Pre-Application Meetings: Pre-application meetings for more complex issues will be standardized across departments to create a project roadmap for applicants that clearly lays out permits, sub-permits, fees, reviews, public processes and sequencing before an application is submitted, avoiding back-and-forth delays throughout the permit process.
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Permit Tracker and Guided Workflows: The OneStopPGH permit tracker, which launched ahead of schedule in July, allows applicants can see exactly where their permit application is in the process and how long it will take to receive the permit. This is accompanied by easy-to-understand guidance and resources to walk applicants through each step of the process.
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Unified Web Resources: With multiple departments involved in permitting, the City has created a new OneStopPGH landing page on PLI’s website to consolidate permit information, submission guidance, contacts and other resources in one location.
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Data Collection: While previously permits were all funneled through one system, data will now be tracked by size and scope to provide more reliable information about permitting times, delays and more to improve process performance.
A full description of Phase 1’s implementation is available here in the Permit Reform Phase 1 Executive Summary.
The overhaul efforts are being led by the Mayor’s Office working collaboratively with the Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections (PLI), Department of City Planning’s Zoning and the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI).
Two additional phases of permit reform will follow today’s announcement focused on reviews and inspections, respectively. Anticipated improvements include a public-facing dashboard of permitting performance data and a complete rewrite of the City’s Zoning Code, following the Administration's preliminary amendments to clean up, modernize and simplify the code in the interim, which were approved by the Pittsburgh Planning Commission in July.
Action items and additional goals for the overhaul are outlined on the Permit Reform EngagePGH page, where residents can sign up for updates as the reform initiative moves forward.
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