Proposal 4: Simplify Building Permitting and Move Waterfront Permitting to Department of Buildings

The law today

The Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner may appoint only two Deputy Commissioners and one Borough Superintendent per borough, and construction documents must be approved by the Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner or a Borough Superintendent. Applicants obtain permits from several agencies, each with its own submission system (DOB for most construction; the Fire Department for fire alarms; the Department of Environmental Protection for stormwater plans; DOT for street-space use). The Department of Small Business Services handles enforcement and permitting for certain waterfront structures, including maritime structures and buildings and City-owned land.[4][6]

Official fiscal estimate

No official fiscal impact statement was published for this charter amendment, and no cost figure is given. The centralized permitting system would be developed "subject to budget appropriations" and established by 2030, or later as DOB determines is feasible. The Commission's final report says it brings 40 approvals from 18 separate offices and agencies into one place.[4][5]

Arguments made for

• "Gotham Organization applauds the Commission's proposal to simplify and centralize the City's building permitting process. Anyone who has developed housing in New York understands how navigating approvals across numerous agencies adds unnecessary time, cost, and complexity to projects that our city urgently needs. Creating a single, coordinated permitting hub is a practical, commonsense reform that will help accelerate the delivery of affordable housing and critical infrastructure while maintaining appropriate oversight," said Brian Kelly, President of the Gotham Organization.[2]
• "Every month lost navigating approvals across multiple agencies is another month that families wait for the housing they desperately need. Creating a single, coordinated permitting process is exactly the kind of government reform that helps good projects get built faster without lowering standards," said Kirk Goodrich, President of Monadnock Development.[2]
• "For too long, outdated rules have made it harder than it needs to be to build in New York City ... Cutting nonprofit and small business procurement time by more than half, adding a formal rainy-day fund, consolidating 40 permits across 18 offices into a single hub, streamlining the use of public space, and unlocking more than $200 million in value from underutilized City property are exactly the kinds of reforms our industry has been calling for," said Carlo A. Scissura, President & CEO of the New York Building Congress.[2]

Arguments made against

• A spokesperson for City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Henry Robins, said of COGE's ballot package as a whole: "In just a few weeks, the commission developed a series of sweeping changes to city government with far-reaching implications for oversight, transparency, and public accountability."[3]

On record in support

• Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), the Charter Revision Commission convened by Mayor Zohran Mamdani (sponsor of the proposal)[2][5]
• Citizens Union (recommends a Yes vote on all five proposals)[8]
• Common Cause New York (recommends a Yes vote)[7]
• Open New York (submitted a statement in support)[6]
• Regional Plan Association (submitted a statement in support)[6]
• Reinvent Albany (submitted a statement in support)[6]

On record in opposition

• D9 Harlem Votes (submitted a statement opposed)[6]