Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee announced on Monday a slew of changes to Oakland’s system for permitting new businesses — a longstanding headache for local entrepreneurs.

Lee promised to fix the city’s permitting process and to reduce bureaucracy for small businesses as part of her 10-point 100-day plan after being elected in April.

Oakland has expanded the range of “by-right” ground floor uses that can be approved without a zoning administrator or planning commission review in downtown Oakland, Broadway Valdez, and the Lake Merritt areas. The city plans to expand similar reforms to other commercial districts in the next few months.

The city has also implemented same-day processing for “a majority” of building permits, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing approvals, for storefront

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