The cost of land development and tree cutting permits, subdivision, zoning and official community plan amendment applications for properties in the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) increased as of Jan. 1, 2023.
The SCRD board adopted a new zoning fee schedule at its Dec. 8, 2022 meeting. A Dec. 21 SCRD press release on the change stated that those fees “were last updated over a decade ago." According to the general manager of planning and development, Ian Hall, “these updates ensure that fees associated with such applications will better cover the work being done by our staff to process them.” New charges range from a low of $50 per document to provide land title search paperwork to $6,400 for the processing of an official community plan or zoning amendment.
Another change introduced for properties under regional district land use rules is a pre-application process for a variety of land development-related applications. For most of these, there will be a fee levied at the pre-application stage.
No permit? Fees can double
The press release outlined that if applicants conduct unauthorized work before obtaining the required permits, fees can be increased. It stated that action is to be applied to “any unauthorized works that are conducted within a development permit area." The release detailed that the provision was put in place to “ensure that those who choose the path of doing work without first obtaining approvals will pay for the services required to oversee the corrective work."
The bylaw fee schedule posted on scrd.ca states that if land alteration, tree cutting, construction of buildings or structures commence without a valid permit on the site, the pre-application, base and additional fees “will be double the applicable fee."
Manager of planning and development Jonathan Jackson stated in the release “we certainly hope that these higher pre-application fees will be a tool we have to use less and less, as the message gets out there in the community about landowner’s responsibility to comply with Development Permit areas that are in place to ensure protection of the natural environment and safe development.”
Applicants directed to online resources
Those considering projects on properties within the SCRD are directed to the local government’s online property viewer mapping tool to identify development permit areas. To assist with the introduction of the new pre-application procedures, the SCRD stated it will be streamlining online processes for locating application documents and checklists for application types.
“If you are in doubt of whether or not your property is subject to a development permit area or if you are contemplating works near any waterbody, wetlands, lands subject to flooding, agricultural lands, steep slopes or any other areas where geotechnical instability may be an issue, it’s best to check with planning staff to ensure you fully understand the requirements that apply,” the release stated.
Since the fall of last year, members of the public looking to apply for permits from the SCRD planning department applicants have needed to make appointments to speak with a staff member. Due to what the local government described as a “critical staffing shortage” in an Oct. 7 press release, it announced that walk-in front counter service at the local government’s Field Road office was discontinued. Service requests are required to be submitted through an email-based ticket system. That release stated the “move to an appointment system is required to ensure that all requests can be processed in as timely a manner as possible.”
Department seeks 2023 staff increases
In the 2023 preliminary budget submission, the planning department has requested $170,000 to cover wages, benefits and costs for an additional staff position in an “assistant manager role” for rural area planning. The submission stated that development applications and enquiries increased by 60 per cent over the previous budget year. Given the increase in both volume of applications and service charges for permits, staff’s recommendation to elected officials is that the position be funded through user fees.
That department also requested funding for the addition of one bylaw enforcement officer, at an estimated cost of $100,000. The explanation of the need for that increase outlined a “significant” increase in bylaw enforcement files, “especially those associated with environmental issues such as tree cutting and works conducted in riparian areas.” Staff recommended that position, if approved, be funded from taxation. SCRD elected officials are slated to start 2023 budget deliberations to consider those and other requests on Jan. 23.
Sechelt zoning fee changes pending
Both the SCRD and District of Sechelt updated their zoning bylaws in mid-2022. In Sechelt, a bylaw amendment updating fees for zoning bylaw infractions received three readings at the Dec. 21 council meeting. During discussion of those readings, director of planning Andrew Allen confirmed to council that the fee changes were "consistent" with those introduced by the SCRD.
Consideration of adoption of those changes is slated to be on an agenda for a January 2023 council meeting.
