At their meeting on June 9th, Council endorsed the implementation of a four-month pilot program to streamline pre-applications for development projects that will result in a five-week review timeline from the time of pre-application submission acceptance. 

Streamlined Pre-Application Process 

To streamline the pre-application process, a simplified, automated, and focused review will be introduced. This includes establishing minimum submission requirements by project type, a defined scope of review, and target timelines for comments.  

Digitization and Automation  

As part of the ongoing efforts to digitize the entire application experience, including further automating processes, staff is proposing to leverage the Citizen Portal (the “portal”) to provide applicants with enhanced transparency into the pre-application process. Through the portal, applicants for pre-applications will now be able to:  

• View the scheduled pre-application meeting date;  

• View the staff comments related to their proposal; and  

• Find the right staff contact for their application.  

Minimum Submission Requirements  

Staff will introduce minimum submission requirements based on project type. This will provide clarity to all applicants and ensure consistency in the pre-application review process. These requirements will also support staff in providing focused reviews that are aligned with the preapplication scope of review.  

Scope of Review  

Staff will introduce a defined scope to ensure key considerations are reviewed and targeted feedback is provided to applicants. This will clarify work and responsibilities for staff and support reduced pre-application review timelines, in accordance with the minimum submission requirements. In addition to the defined scope of review, management oversight of the review process will ensure consistency of comments. 

Target Timelines and Review Process  

Staff will aim to return comments to applicants within five weeks of receiving a complete preapplication package.  

The timeline will work as follows:  

• Weeks 1-4: Inter-departmental teams review the submission and prepare their input.  

• Week 4: The project is discussed at a coordinated weekly Pre-Application Meeting ("PAM"), where staff consolidate and refine their feedback.  

• Week 5: Consolidated comments are sent to the applicant, meeting the five-week goal.  

This streamlined process will launch as a four-month pilot. Staff will assess its effectiveness and report back to Council in Q1 2026, including a proposed update to City Policy O-5 (Procedure for Development Applications) to formalize the new pre-application process. 

Fees for Pre-Application  

Currently, the City does not charge a fee for a pre-application review. As there are currently no fees in place, staff are required to review many pre-applications that require significant staff time and resources. Approximately 73% of the surveyed municipalities in the region charge a fee for pre-application review. It is recommended, however, that the pre-application pilot proceed without a fee at this time, with staff reporting back to Council in the Q4 2025 on the success of the pilot program as well as the introduction of a fee structure based on project type. Once introduced, the pre-application fee will be reduced from the application fees for any project that proceeds to the application stage. If the project does not proceed, however, this preapplication fee will not be refunded. The introduction of fees, along with the more focused and defined process, will support increased staff efficiency and serve as a minimum barrier to speculative proposals. 

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