Baltimore Deputy Mayor Justin Williams was appointed to serve as the city's first Director of Permitting and Development Services, Mayor Brandon Scott announced Friday.

The new "Permit Czar" role is designed to streamline the city's reformed development process outlined in the Bmore FAST (Facilitating Approvals and Streamlining Timelines) initiative.

The plan, which aims to address Baltimore's vacant housing crisis, was unveiled by the mayor in March.

Baltimore's first "Permit Czar"

As the "Permit Czar," Williams will serve as the city's coordinator for development-related approvals and processes.

He will have the authority to identify and eliminate bottlenecks to development, implement process improvements and serve as a mediator for conflicts between applicants and reviewers, acco

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