The construction industry is welcoming Vancouver city council’s plan to review red tape and speed up permitting processes – particularly those surrounding home construction.
On January 17, Vancouver council unanimously passed a motion from Coun. Tony Tang stipulating that:
•staff review city regulations and permitting processes that would support local businesses through updated regulations, improved speed and greater efficiency of processes; and
•staff review the home construction permitting process and provide recommendations for achieving a turnaround benchmark of six weeks for all home construction permits.
Tang told Business in Vancouver that the six-week target is intended for “outright” construction permits, which currently have turnaround times up to four months. He said he hopes the efficiency push will reduce wait times for the more complex “conditional” stream – which, he said, have been around eight months.
“It’s a trickle-down theory,” he said. “It would help out the outright, help out the conditional and then help out the renovations. I think it would help out all the efficiency in city hall.”
Peter Simpson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, welcomed council’s move.
“Just the fact that [Vancouver council is] concerned about it shows us that they’re listening to what industry has been saying for years about this whole process being speeded up.”
Simpson said long waits for permits can result in contracted construction workers sitting idle at home.
“There’s a potential for these people not to earn a living the longer these things are delayed,” he said. “So it behooves everybody to make this process as expeditious as they can.”
Gordon Wylie, chairman of development issues and government relations for the Vancouver chapter of commercial real estate association NAIOP, also supported council’s move.
“NAIOP is supportive of any moves that are done to reduce approval timelines while still maintaining the appropriate controls,” he said.
Wylie said reducing red tape in the real estate sector allows builders to complete projects quicker and at lower costs.
“On the residential component, I would assume that it would result in more affordability.”
Simpson cautioned that the test of council’s move will be in how it plays out.
“The proof is in the pudding. If they actually do find ways to accelerate approvals and the permitting process,” he said. “They’ll probably have to staff up to lessen the times.”
Tang said that city staff believes the six-week target is achievable. “We don’t want to have a goal that’s so untouchable that it would require staff [to be] extremely stressed and also hurt the budget drastically.” •
