Authorization

An authorization is a discretionary City Planning Commission action lighter than a special permit: the Resolution specifies outcomes the Commission may authorize on stated findings, without the full ULURP process. Authorizations are common inside special purpose districts and other rule areas where the text wants case-by-case judgment without a months-long public procedure.

Together with certifications — lighter still, often ministerial confirmations by the chairperson that stated conditions are met — authorizations form the graduated middle of the discretionary spectrum: as-of-right, certification, authorization, special permit, each step adding scrutiny. Knowing which step a project's non-standard feature requires is a core piece of entitlement analysis.