By Phil Crone
Executive Officer, Dallas Builders Association
For builders, 2020 has had no shortages of challenges in the City of Dallas.
The first, of course, came in March when the Dallas Builders Association’s advocacy played a critical role in keeping housing designated as an essential business.
As housing demand sprung to life across the Metroplex, cities quickly transitioned their permitting offices to a socially distant world. They did so admirably and efficiently without significant processing delays.
All except Dallas.
Processes that used to take a day or two in Dallas continue to take three months or more. The backlog and corresponding delays come exclusively from the transition to a system that was not ready for prime time, is not intuitive and lacks adequate support and training.
Specific issues with the system were first outlined in this Daltxrealestate.com article back in August.
Throughout the past few months, Dallas Builders Association staff has worked tirelessly with city staff and council members to find efficiencies in the process. After numerous meetings, hearings, and countless requests for assistance on behalf of our members with specific permits, progress is unsatisfactory.
A Rally Cry For Progress
In order to further increase awareness of this issue, the Association has taken to print media organizations including The Dallas Morning News and D Magazine and television media via Fox 4 and NBC 5. These efforts are beginning to pay off.
In his Dec. 8 “State of the City Address” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said, “We must demand that our city’s management provide a better, more efficient permitting process for our businesses. Dallas is a great city for businesses but to grow as we know it can, it must also be a great city to do business with.”
This came in response to a city council hearing and the Dallas Builders Association’s letter to the mayor and city council the previous day.
Slow And Unsteady
As expected, progress on this issue has been frustratingly slow. City staff expressed optimism that permit turnaround times of 2-3 weeks could be met by April of next year. If that’s the case, it will have taken Dallas over a year to make the same adjustments other cities did in a matter of days back in March.
Improvements must occur now, not next spring! These delays are crippling small businesses, depriving workers of work and the city of needed tax revenue while curtailing access to housing at a time when residents need it the most.
Mayor Johnson and the entire city council understand and support our position on this issue. They share our frustrations and, most importantly, have expressed a renewed willingness to significantly reduce permit turnaround times immediately and enact the recommendations outlined in our most recent letter.
We realize this provides little solace for those who have waited months for a building permit and experienced numerous frustrations with the city’s system. We urge you to continue to let us know about your challenges and to also share them with the council members who represent the district where the home is being built or remodeled.
Click here to find your council member by address and here to find their email address. When corresponding with council members, be sure to copy their office staff. It is important that they continue to hear about the delays impacting projects in their district.
The Dallas BA has directly assisted numerous homeowners with their building permits. The Association has developed a template letter that enables them to more easily convey their concerns directly to their council member.
We understand the significance of this issue to your business, your clients, and our city’s housing goals. Our fight to overcome these challenges will not stop until delays are overcome and the city’s permitting and development processes are predictable, transparent, efficient, and effective.
Phil Crone is the executive officer of the Dallas Builders Association, the trade association and network of Dallas builders. Find out more about the DBA at dallasbuilders.com.
