Developers Paint Bleak Picture of Vancouver's Future Under Status Quo

[Sheba]

I suppose this is the best place to post this - Developers and trades in Vancouver to be hit with increased fees

On Tuesday, City of Vancouver council will vote on the proposed fee hikes for rezoning applications, general development, building and other related permits — that will average five per cent for a total of 32 per cent in increases since 2017. The changes will apply to around 70 different types of fees.

According to a staff report, increased regulations and “the resulting process and technology challenges” mean that permit turnaround times have been extending during 2021.

The report goes on to state that COVID-related supply chain issues in the construction industry have resulted in project slowdowns during the building inspection phase of permits and this had also made delays worse.

This permit and building inspection backlog has occurred despite efforts since 2017 to reduce wait times. At that time, council approved the hiring of 75 extra staff that came with a nine per cent increase in most fee categories.

In 2018, fees increased on average 12 per cent, then three per cent the following year and three per cent in 2020.

According to the report, without increasing fees, the building permitting program will not generate enough money to cover its costs.

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