May 7th, 2024

As mentioned in previous updates, on April 22nd, Council adopted amendments to the Building Regulation Bylaw. 

Proposed changes coming out of this review include: 

• Implementing an Occupancy Certificate - enables the City to provide increased clarity to building owners, occupants, and other parties to the permitted occupancy and use of a building. With increasing complexity of development and phased construction, there is potential for ambiguity in defining when a building may be occupied, so this new tool remedies the situation by offering a clear interpretation and designation for occupancy; 
• Clarifying provisions to charge fees for the review of modifications made to instream Building Permit applications - Building Approvals has observed an increase in the number of modifications to permit applications that result in added time and expense to the city, prolonging the review and issuance process. New subsections to the Bylaw are proposed to clarify when additional review changes are imposed to address situations where applicants are making modifications to designs that have already been reviewed and the permits have not yet been issued; 
• Expanding provisions to extend or expire permits after the start of construction - includes the required verification of the start of construction by way of an inspection within 180 days from the date of permit issuance, and the establishment of reasonable limitations on the duration of construction; 
• Adding new provisions to incentivize the completion of permit applications in a timely manner - sets timelines for an applicant's response to City review comments, as a condition to maintaining the validity of a permit application. Provisions for the expiration of a permit application are also included. This will discourage the practice of using a permit application as a placeholder for the purpose of avoiding increases in City and Regional charges/fees and advancing codes and standards; 
• Clarifying the conditions of Temporary Structures - language added to set conditions for buildings qualifying as temporary structures, which will be defined as those that exist for a period of one year from date of occupancy versus from the date of permit issuance. 

More information can be found in the full report by City staff. 

April 23rd, 2024

As mentioned in previous updates, on April 8th, Council adopted amendments to the Consolidated Fees Bylaw as part of the Building Regulation Bylaw update.  

The changes include clarifying provisions to charge fees for the review of modifications made to instream Building Permit applications. Building Approvals has observed an increase in the number of modifications to permit applications that result in added time and expense to the city, prolonging the review and issuance process. New subsections to the Bylaw are proposed to clarify when additional review changes are imposed to address situations where applicants are making modifications to designs that have already been reviewed and the permits have not yet been issued. 

More information can be found in the full report on the building regulation changes. 

April 9th, 2024

In 2023, Building Approvals undertook a review of the Bylaw as part of ongoing process improvements. Proposed changes coming out of this review include: 

• Implementing an Occupancy Certificate - enables the City to provide increased clarity to building owners, occupants, and other parties to the permitted occupancy and use of a building. With increasing complexity of development and phased construction, there is potential for ambiguity in defining when a building may be occupied, so this new tool remedies the situation by offering a clear interpretation and designation for occupancy; 
• Clarifying provisions to charge fees for the review of modifications made to instream Building Permit applications - Building Approvals has observed an increase in the number of modifications to permit applications that result in added time and expense to the city, prolonging the review and issuance process. New subsections to the Bylaw are proposed to clarify when additional review changes are imposed to address situations where applicants are making modifications to designs that have already been reviewed and the permits have not yet been issued; 
• Expanding provisions to extend or expire permits after the start of construction - includes the required verification of the start of construction by way of an inspection within 180 days from the date of permit issuance, and the establishment of reasonable limitations on the duration of construction; 
• Adding new provisions to incentivize the completion of permit applications in a timely manner - sets timelines for an applicant's response to City review comments, as a condition to maintaining the validity of a permit application. Provisions for the expiration of a permit application are also included. This will discourage the practice of using a permit application as a placeholder for the purpose of avoiding increases in City and Regional charges/fees and advancing codes and standards; 
• Clarifying the conditions of Temporary Structures - language added to set conditions for buildings qualifying as temporary structures, which will be defined as those that exist for a period of one year from date of occupancy versus from the date of permit issuance. 

More information can be found in the full report by City staff.