In 2002, the City of San Diego passed a Resolution R-298001, which amended the Sustainable Building Policy to allow for expedited permitting for sustainable buildings. Sustainable buildings are defined in Policy Number 900-14, and the expedited permitting program is described in Policy Number 600-27. The Sustainable Building Policy is scheduled to be revised every three years.
New residential, commercial, and industrial development projects are all eligible for expedited permitting. The expedited permitting process is estimated to take 75% as much time as the normal permitting process. The policy also prioritizes project types in the case that the expedited permitting program is full. Sustainable projects that also qualify as "Affordable Housing" projects receive second priority, and all other sustainable building projects receive fourth priority.
In order to qualify for expedited permitting as a sustainable building, a project must utilize either photovoltaics to generate a "certain percentage" of the project’s energy needs, or achieve LEED Silver certification. Program materials, including a checklist and form, are available on the program web site above.