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Press Contact:
Cisco DeVries
(510) 981-7103

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2003

MAYOR’S TASK FORCE CALLS FOR CHANGES TO PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 

Task Force unanimous on 72 recommendations to improve Berkeley’s process for approving residential, commercial, and large-scale development.  Ideas range from better notification of pending projects to concrete timelines for review of project applications.

Berkeley, CA – Following nine months of work, Mayor Tom Bates’ Permit and Development Task Force today issues its final report calling for significant changes to the City’s land use decision-making process.

 “The Task Force has done a remarkable job of working through these difficult issues and proposing common sense, workable solutions,” said Mayor Tom Bates.  “What is most impressive is how well the recommendations provide better opportunities for community involvement while also providing a more predictable and understandable process for project applicants."

The Task Force’s 14 members were appointed by Mayor Tom Bates in February to help address the concerns raised by people on all sides involved in or affected by development in Berkeley. Laurie Capitelli, local realtor and Chair of the City’s Zoning Adjustments Board, chaired the group. 

The 72 recommendations in the report, all of which achieved consensus on the Task Force, were broken up into four sections – general, residential, commercial, and large-scale development.  They included:

• A number of proposals for better notification of pending projects and the use of early mediation and facilitation to resolve potential disputes early in the process.
• Creation and enforcement of concrete timelines and better coordination of review by City staff and commissions, including the Landmarks Preservation Commission, Design Review Commission, and the Zoning Adjustments Board.
• Easing requirements for new businesses to open and expand in Berkeley.
• Improving the City’s oversight of the way in which new large-scale buildings transition to the residential neighborhoods they abut.

Perhaps as important as any specific recommendations, the Task Force surprised many by working together to find solutions to some of the most contentious issues facing the City.  As the report states in the Recommendation, “We hope these recommendations will help guide changes to a system that many agree needs improvement. Just as importantly, we hope the Task Force’s work will prove to be an important step towards a more constructive dialogue among those involved in this city’s development process.”

Some of the recommendations can be acted on directly by the City Council while others must be reviewed by City commissions before coming back to the Council for action.  Mayor Bates is requesting that City staff to prepare a review and implementation work plan for the recommendations in the report.  The Council is scheduled to vote on this next step at their December 16^th meeting.

 The entire report is available for download at: www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/mayor/PermitTaskForce/PermitTaskForce.htm

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