As mentioned in previous updates, on December 16th, Council gave third reading and adoption to the proposed pilot program for early excavation for multi-family housing. The report outlines that there is an opportunity to facilitate quicker construction of new homes by issuing an “excavation only” building permit in advance of final adoption of the rezoning and issuance of the development permit. Implementation of the “excavation only” building permit pilot program will support this opportunity by enabling the excavation of larger multi-family developments to occur concurrently while the detailed designs and final approvals are being completed. 

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

December 17th, 2024

At their meeting on December 2nd, Council endorsed the proposed pilot program for early excavation for multi-family housing, and gave first and second reading to include the proposed changes to the Zoning Bylaw. The report outlines that there is an opportunity to facilitate quicker construction of new homes by issuing an “excavation only” building permit in advance of final adoption of the rezoning and issuance of the development permit. Implementation of the “excavation only” building permit pilot program will support this opportunity by enabling the excavation of larger multi-family developments to occur concurrently while the detailed designs and final approvals are being completed. 

In Q1 2025, staff will provide an update to Council on the pilot program. If the pilot program is deemed to be successful, in their update report staff will also include additional bylaw amendments for consideration in order to make the pilot program a permanent option for developers. 

For further details on the pilot program, including program eligibility and accompanying requirements, please see the  full report by City staff.