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City Council Sets Stage for Faster Permits at Higher Cost Under New Review Rules Proposal

Official:Amending Subcode "A" (The Philadelphia Administrative Code) of The Philadelphia Code, by amending Chapter 9, entitled "Fees," by revising fee requirements pertaining to accelerated plan review, under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Bass

Introduced: February 5, 2015

: Committee on Licenses and Inspections

housing taxation zoning

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2012–2015 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill changes the rules for accelerated plan review in Philadelphia by requiring a minimum $1,000 fee and setting a deadline for departmental reviews. The change aims to speed up the review process, but with a higher upfront cost.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

A minimum fee of $1,000 is required for accelerated plan review, with additional fees for each hour of review thereafter.
The fee for accelerated review is non-refundable.
The department is required to complete its plan review of zoning applications subject to civic design review within 10 business days of submission of a complete application.
The department is required to issue a decision on zoning applications subject to civic design review within 10 business days of submission of a complete application, unless an emergency prevents such completion.