Red tape? In Hamilton?? No way... or WAAAYYYYY?

[ScreamingViking]

So what's the truth, those who are in the know? Is #HamOnt better, worse, or about par for the course when it comes to development hoops and approvals?


Architects argue red tape at Hamilton City Hall is dragging down development
Architect society representative will call for changes at city’s Open for Business Sub-Committee

by Mark McNeil, Hamilton Spectator
June 10, 2019


An organization of local architects says city workers have been unduly slowing down economic development in Hamilton because of needless red tape and foot-dragging in granting approvals.

And Monday a representative of the Hamilton/Burlington Society of Architects will take the complaint to the city's Open for Business Sub-Committee.

Kyle Slote says he will present a recent Ontario Association of Architects letter to Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark that says the site plan approval process across the province is a chronic problem.

Developers need to receive site plan approval from municipalities before receiving a building permit. Site plan approval involves discussion about the site layout and issues related to a project such as street widening, parking, drainage and "landscaping improving the quality and appearance of the development," according to the City of Hamilton website.

Local architects feel the process in Hamilton takes too long, sometimes a year or more when they feel a month or two would be more reasonable.

...

And while local architects complain the City of Hamilton takes to long, Robichaud says the city is much faster than Toronto or GTA communities.

Hamilton, he said, handles 200 applications per year and 190 of them are done within a year.

He noted that the average in Toronto is 28 months, the Greater Toronto Area is two years, and Hamilton is less than a year.

But Slote feels that is still too high in a process that is often mired with unnecessary requirements.

...

full story here

[King&James]

Love the deflection, we are all good here because other municipalities take way longer. How about a mandated 90 days for full review and clear requirements upon submission. If no glaring gaps , conditional approval on submission.