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Austin Clears Housing and Construction Permit Backlog

Flickr/austin tx http://www.flickr.com/photos/austintx/

The City of Austin says it has cleared a major backlog of residential permit reviews.

The Planning and Development Review Department’s director Greg Guernsey says they processed more than 650 applications in the last month. The backlog had resulted in people waiting weeks to get city approval for renovations or new home construction. 

The department says it assembled a "13-member special review team" to help other reviews to clear the backlog over the last three weeks. But that doesn't mean all delays are eliminated permanently. 

"Admittedly, there is more work to be done," Austin City Manager Mark Ott said in a statement. “This accomplishment will propel us forward toward improving productivity and customer service.”

In January, Guernsey told the Austin American-Statesman that the backlog was caused by six of the eight city employees who review residential permits quitting in 2012.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion-dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on X @KUTnathan.
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