Chair Riley asks about CPC capacity and engagement for fast-track applications
He asks if DCP will provide CPC capacity to engage on community benefits; Garodnick says yes, they ensure environmental review and mitigation, and CPC can recommend modifications.
In addition to potential DCP-led rezoning, is it...
It is also expected that the affordable housing fast track will lead to many private developer applications for which the city plan commission will now be the final vote.
In the EULA process, tough issues are usually resolved by the city council's negotiation with the applicant on a final agreement.
These agreements might include modifications and commitments for local investment or other community benefits.
For fast-track applications, will DCP provide the City Plan Commission the capacity and resources to engage on these issues?
Absolutely.
So when an application is moving through ULERP, long before it reaches the city planning,
Commission at the department level, we also are ensuring to the extent that environmental impact review is required, we are ensuring that that's completed.
We're identifying whether there's a need for mitigation.
The City Planning Commission has that information available as they start to research the proposal.
There's certainly times in City Planning Commission hearings where we've brought up mitigation that has been identified in an EIS to ensure that the developer is committing to that.
The City Planning Commission also has the ability to recommend modifications to the MIH options, for instance.
Typically, we have deferred to the City Council in those types of decisions, but when we are the final vote in some of the fast-track districts, those are the types of modifications we certainly can discuss and recommend and make as part of our final report.
I envision that we, in my role as department director in particular, that we remain in close conversation with the council.
And as you are well aware, a lot of the engagement around projects happens well before the formal public review process where developers are already engaging community council members and stakeholders
around priorities so that by the time they've reached the commission, there's been lots of modifications to applications usually before they get to the commission level.
So you still commit on engaging with council members through CPC within the commitments?
Sure, absolutely.
And again, at the department level as well, too.
We certainly will ensure that we continue to engage with you all.