Developers want DOB, ULURP processes sped up

From left: Steven Spinola, Lou Coletti, and Robert LiMandri

From The Real Deal:

Construction and real estate industry organizations are in conversations with the city's Department of Buildings to make the permitting and development process more predictable in the face of possible service reductions resulting from looming budget cuts, a trade group leader said.

Building Trades Employers' Association chairman and CEO Louis Coletti said DOB commissioner Robert LiMandri asked his organization and the Real Estate Board of New York to identify major priorities such as ways to improve the city's processing of building applications.

The industry has long complained of the cumbersome permitting process, and with an 8 percent cut to the DOB budget, included in Bloomberg's budget for 2011-- and a possible additional 7.2 percent reduction because of Albany's financial woes -- builders are bracing for less service for the development review and inspection process.

Steven Spinola, president of REBNY, said at times members complain of slow approval of permits or waits for inspections.

He added that the industry was concerned about the disparate way DOB regulations are enforced or prioritized around the city.

"There are five different borough commissioners and their interpretations are a little different from [one another]," he said.