SAN DIEGO’S PERMITTING OFFICE SWITCHING TO DIGITAL SERVICE
‘Virtual Counter’ set to launch Wednesday will move processes online
It took a pandemic to make it happen, but San Diego's permitting office has finally entered the 21st century.
The city's Development Services Department — which you had the pleasure of visiting if you wanted to install a new water heater, or build a gigantic apartment tower — has switched over to almost completely digital in the last few months after decades in the dark age.
Project submittals before COVID-19 typically involved briefcases worth of paper, long lines at the department's office, and city workers driving all over town to view mundane upgrades. However, in the last few months, the department has embraced technology with everything from virtual inspections to requiring digital
paperwork.
“The process really hadn't been updated in 15 years,” said department director Elyse Lowe.
All of the changes will culminate Wednesday with the launch of its “Virtual Counter,” a place where everyone from confused homeown
ers to world-class architects can book an appointment with a staff member over their computer.
The way it works: A person has a question about requirements and permits for a home improvement project, so they go online to
sandiego.gov/DSD and book an online appointment (don’t call on the phone; it won’t work). Then, when the appointment comes, a staff member will use Microsoft Teams — similar to Zoom — to share a computer screen and review permits needed or other information. Sessions are anticipated to be 30 to 45 minutes.
It can be important to review plans with someone on staff because when the pandemic started, the department just asked people to drop off paperwork at the office without anyone reviewing it. A lot of the paperwork had errors and had to be resubmitted. It also took a significant amount of time for staff members to scan all the paperwork to get it into the department’s computer system.
“We’re still dealing with the backlog, to be honest with you,” Lowe said.
To be fair, she said they were trying everything in their power to stay open, even if it was a bit haphazard at first. Pandemic or not, downtown is still in the middle of a building boom, and slowing the progress wouldn’t be good for anyone.
San Diego’s Development Services Department is the second-busiest permitting department in the state (behind Los Angeles) and likely one of the busiest in the nation. It processes up to 70,000 permits a year.
One of the first changes in the department was adding virtual inspections, which are basically just a homeowner or contractor video calling in smaller changes that used to require someone to come to the property. Some examples of how it could be used are moving electrical outlets, replacing a water heater, or putting in an electrical vehicle charging station.
The department has done other things to upgrade its process, including launching a new online zoning tool, streaming public meetings for public agencies (like the Historical Resources Board), and making the process of submitting for solar panels completely online.
Kelly Charles, interim deputy director of the department, said a secondary benefit of all the digital tools is cutting down on the gasoline city workers were burning driving all over town to make inspections. In addition to saving a lot of trees by not using so much paper, she said the lack of driving also helps the environment.