Dallas Building Permit Saga Reaches “Inflection Point”
The Dallas BA continues to help numerous members each day facing costly permitting delays at the City of Dallas. More than two years since the onset of the pandemic and a failed move to an online permitting system, the city council has now given the city manager a deadline to solve the problem.
In a letter sent by Councilwoman Paula Blackmon, who Mayor Eric Johnson appointed to lead his task force on the matter, the city manager is requested to produce a detailed plan at a full council briefing on May 18.
Blackmon told D Magazine, “We’re getting to the point where we have to either blow it all up or fix what we have. It’s an archaic system we’ve bandaged and patched. It’s finally caught up with us.”
“On one hand I hear every day from builders losing thousands of dollars due to delays and escalating costs as this crisis lingers on,” said Dallas BA Executive Officer Phil Crone. “On the other hand, I see and appreciate the efforts being taken by Will Mundinger to put this thing back together and several staff members on individual projects we send them. There is some progress underway, but we are nearing an inflection point on whether they get the job done or we drift further into the abyss.”
Mundinger, a former Goldman Sachs executive, was appointed last year by the city manager to solve the problem. “I think Will is doing everything he can,” Crone said. “I don’t think he’s getting the resources he needs, though, and that’s why my focus is on the city manager. He’s the one person in this city with the power to fix this, and I’m glad to see the council holding him accountable.”
Crone added that builders need to be strong advocates for their projects and take personal responsibility for their own permits. “I’ve seen many builders using someone who claims to be a permit expediter and end up facing more delays with less information about their project because those third parties are not keeping up with a fast-moving situation,” he said. “At this moment, plan to permit it yourself through the ProjectDox software, expect it to take at least 8 weeks, stay on top of your application as it moves from prescreen to plan review and be ready to contact us if you suspect it is stuck or you don’t know where it is.”
The city manager’s plan is expected to contain several recommendations that the Dallas BA and other industry groups have offered over the past few months. The Association will continue to work closely with staff on its formation. Members with stuck projects or who are having difficulty communicating with city staff should contact the Dallas BA for assistance.