How To . . . #3
Development Permits for Major Applications in Vancouver
Generally, a major application is one which may, due to its location, scale and context, have a significant impact on its surroundings or be contentious in the community. Major applications are also those that would challenge established Council development policies or discretionary zoning provisions or guidelines that would result in significant deviations from past practices.
All conditional use applications are checked to determine if they will be processed as a major development application. Specific determinations are made by the Enquiry Centre, with the assistance of a Project Scoper.
An application that is initially determined to be a major application may, in the course of processing, be determined to be less significant in scale or impact and therefore be referred to the Director of Planning for a decision. Similarly, a non major application may prove contentious as a result of public notification and be changed to a major. It would then be referred to the Development Permit Board where an open public forum for review and decision making would take place.
In general, the following criteria are applied when determining whether or not an application is a major development:
1. All applications in any zoning district which may be controversial as to use, density, height, siting, massing, parking requirements or perceived impacts. Controversies such as these are based on staff review or responses to public notification made during the review process;
2. All applications in any zoning district involving the general design of significant parks and public open spaces and significant building developments within them; and
3. Applications within the following Zoning Districts where the use proposed is conditional (with certain exceptions). Conditional uses are considered in terms of:
(a) the intent of the applicable provisions in the relevant Zoning and Development By law or Official Development Plan for that area,
(b) any plans, policies or guidelines approved by Council for that area,
(c) the recommendations of any advisory groups for the area, and
(d) the response of adjacent property owners and residents who may have been notified of the application.
[ return to top ]
Zoning Districts
DD, CWD, BCPED, FCCDD, CH (Downtown District, Central Waterfront
District, B.C. Place/Expo District and the False Creek Comprehensive Development
District)
Exceptions:
• minor changes of use in an existing
building, or
• minor additions/alterations
to an existing building
RM5, RM-5A, RM-5B, RM-5C, RM-6 (Multiple Dwelling Districts)
Exceptions:
• any new building within the outright maximum permitted height or the outright height envelope,
• minor changes of use in an existing building, or
• minor additions/alterations to an existing building.
HA-1, HA-1A (Chinatown Historic District)
Exceptions:
• any new building 50 feet or less in height,
• minor changes of use in an existing building, or
• minor additions/alterations to an existing building.
HA-2 (Gastown Historic District)
Exceptions:
• any new building that fully complies with the minimum and maximum height limits,
• minor changes of use in an existing building, or
• minor additions/alterations to an existing building.
HA-3 (Yaletown Historic District)
Exceptions:
• minor changes of use in an existing building
• minor additions/alterations to an existing building
C-3A
Exceptions:
• all applications for new buildings with floor space ratio (FSR) at or below 1.0 and a height less than 30 feet,
• minor changes of use in an existing building, or
• minor additions/alterations to an existing building.
Enquiries regarding whether or not a development is considered as major may be made at the Enquiry Centre.
[ return to top ]
Types of Development Applications
Major development applications can take the form of either a Preliminary Application or a Complete Application. The two processes are:
(a) Preliminary Development Application
The preliminary development application review determines the appropriateness of the proposed use, density, form, siting, massing, relationship and impact of the proposal within its context. Once these considerations have been established, it forms the basis for the complete development application, which requires detailed design development and technical compliance with applicable by laws. City requirements, such as street and lane dedications and rights of way or easements, are also identified in the approval in principle.
The preliminary development application is optional. However, it is strongly recommended as a means of establishing the basic principles for approval of a detailed complete development application. A preliminary development application requires less detailed information than a complete development application and is intended to provide approval in principle to the basic concepts of a proposal. The permit application fee for a preliminary development application is also considerably lower than that of a complete development application.
(b) Complete Development Application
The complete development application, when approved with all conditions satisfied, results in the issuance of a development permit, which authorizes the use or development of the property in question in accordance with the City’s zoning regulations. It is a prerequisite for a building permit.
The application fee for a complete development application is based upon the gross floor area of the proposed building(s), but diminishes on a unit area basis as the size of the development increases.
Minor Amendments
Minor changes in the layout, siting, and external design of a project (subsequent to the issuance of a development permit) usually require approval of an amendment to the development permit. Such amendments are usually dealt with directly by the Director of Planning or designated staff. Significant changes in use, density, height or design will likely require a new development application, which is generally referred back to the Development Permit Board for review.
[ return to top ]
How Are Major Development Applications Processed?
The City’s goal in processing development applications is to identify key
project issues and work to resolve them early on in the process. Early detection
of issues helps minimize project delays, substantial project revisions in
later permit stages, and application refusals by the Development Permit
Board.
A Project Facilitator is assigned to most Major Development proposals
at the onset, serving as the key contact for the applicant, the community
and the various City departments involved in the permit process. The Facilitator’s
role normally continues through the Building Permit and Building Inspection
stages.
The steps in processing most Major Development applications are as follows:
1. Project Scoping
The prospective applicant meets with a Project Scoper to describe the
proposed project in as much detail as is known. From that meeting, the
Scoper prepares a list of key issues that need further discussion and
clarification, often with a variety of City departments. A Project Facilitator
is assigned.
2. Pre-Application Meetings
Pre-application meetings are designed to give the applicant early feedback
on the proposal prior to the formal application submission. Based on these
meetings, applicants can prepare submissions that reflect City requirements
and guidelines.
Tips for Preparing for Pre-Application Meetings
Standard areas covered include: applicable by-laws, plans, policies and guidelines; land use, density (FSR or residential units per hectare), building form, siting, traffic and parking, views, daylight access and shadowing, privacy, residential unit livability, neighbourhood impacts, and building code issues. Other areas, such as social planning, heritage, and housing, are covered if applicable to the proposal.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to bring as much information about the site and its surroundings as possible to pre-application meetings, including: rough sketches, survey plans and photographs of the site and its surroundings. Applicants are advised to familiarize themselves with relevant by-laws, plans, policies and guidelines prior to the conference. This will ensure that the discussion with staff at the pre-design meetings will be both meaningful and beneficial.
The two main types of pre-application meetings are:
- The Pre-design Conference between the applicant,
Development Planner, and Scoper, is designed to review City by-laws,
plans, policies and guidelines, as well as, general urban design considerations
relevant to the site. Other City departments may be brought in if issues
involving their expertise have been identified by the Scoper.
- The First Meeting is arranged by the Facilitator,
and includes the applicant and representatives from a wide range of
City departments. The applicant describes the proposal and the City
representatives provide “first glance”comments on issues that
need to be addressed in the application.
3. File Application
A development application (preliminary or complete) is filed with the Project Facilitator. A fee is paid at the time of the application, and 13 sets of plans are collected from the applicant. The type of information that must be shown on the plans and additional submission materials is provided in greater detail in the “What Information Is Required For Major Development Applications?” section, below.
4. New Application Preview (NAP)
New major applications undergo a brief review with senior staff within the first two weeks after submission. The review is undertaken to ensure all necessary information has been submitted, any significant issues have been identified and to confirm project target dates.
5. Inter-Departmental Review
The Project Facilitator coordinates plan review with applicable City departments;
arranges meetings between the applicant and individual departments when
necessary to resolve outstanding issues; and coordinates public involvement.
6. Public Notification
An applicant is required to erect a notification sign on the site in accordance
with the details provided by the Facilitator. The City advises adjacent
property owners and neighbours by letter of the application, providing
a project description, details on obtaining more information, and avenues
for comment.
[ return to top ]
The Development Permit Board
assesses most major applications, considering the advice of staff, the
applicant’s presentation, public comments, and recommendations from advisory
bodies (see below). If the application is approved, it will likely have
conditions that the applicant must satisfy prior to issuance of the Development
Permit.
Who is the Development Permit Board?
The Development Permit Board comprises the Co-Director of Development Services, the Deputy City Manager, the General Manager of Engineering Services, and the Director of Planning. It makes all decisions but is given advice in all deliberations by an Advisory Panel consisting of nine members appointed by Council. Two members represent the development industry, two are from the design profession, four are from the general public and one from the Vancouver Heritage Commission. As advisors to the Board, panel members cannot vote but are polled for their opinions.
All Development Permit Board meetings are open to the public. Applicants or their representatives are present to discuss the application. Neighbours and others interested in the development may also attend and make presentations. Written submissions are also considered.
What Happens at Development Permit Board Meetings?
The Board first receives a presentation from staff regarding the Development Permit Staff Committee report. The Board then hears from the applicant and all interested members of the public. A discussion ensues among members of the Board and Advisory Panel. Throughout the discussion, questions of all participants are dealt with through the Chair. The Chair then polls the Advisory Panel members for their advice. The Board members then conclude the debate and a motion is made and voted on and the decision of the Board is announced. Decisions usually involve an approval subject to conditions, or a refusal. The Board may, however, refer an application to Council for advice before a decision is confirmed. When all conditions of an approved development application are fulfilled, a development permit is issued.
[ return to top ]
Advisory Bodies Involved in the Review Process
Urban Design Panel
The Urban Design Panel provides urban design advice to the Director of Planning, Development Permit Board and Council. The Panel reviews all major or significant development applications and forwards its recommendations to the Director of Planning or the Development Permit Board (through the Development Permit Staff Committee). The Panel’s meetings are open to applicants as well as the general public.
Advisory Groups
Some areas of the city have permanent Citizen Advisory Committees approved by Council. They review development applications in their area and submit recommendations to the Board or the Director of Planning. Such committees include the Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee, the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee, and the First Shaughnessy Advisory Design Panel.
In areas of the city where local area planning programs are occurring, citizen advisory committees that are established for the duration of the programs are also given the opportunity to comment on development applications in that area.
Vancouver Heritage Commission
The Vancouver Heritage Commission is a Council-appointed advisory group which operates under its own by law. It considers and makes recommendations on those applications involving designated heritage buildings or sites, as well as buildings that are listed in the Council-approved Vancouver Heritage Register.
The Enquiry Centre staff can advise you if a particular building is in the Register.
Development Permit Staff Committee
The Development Permit Staff Committee is an inter departmental City staff committee which reviews all major development applications before they are dealt with by the Development Permit Board. The Committee’s meetings are not open to applicants or the public.
The Committee receives presentations from a Development Planner of each application which has been scheduled for the Board. The Committee then reviews a detailed draft report on the application which has been prepared with input from a variety of departments.
A typical Development Permit Staff Committee report includes a project description and statistical analysis, a design review by the Development Planner, comments and recommendations from other City departments (Engineering Services, Processing Centre-Building, Processing Centre-Development, Landscape, Health, Fire and Rescue Services and others when necessary, Urban Design Panel and Citizens’ Planning Committee reviews and recommendations, a summary of public notification responses, the Committee’s review and a report summary including the major issues for consideration. The report concludes with a recommendation from the Committee to the Board. Appended to each report are copies of the applicant’s design rationale and reduced plans, elevations and sections illustrating the project.
Upon review by the Development Permit Staff Committee, the report is amended and becomes the report of the Committee. The Committee’s report is then finalized, signed by the Committee Chair, and forwarded to the Assistant to the Development Permit Board. The Assistant, in turn, prepares the agenda for the next Board meeting and forwards copies of the agenda, draft minutes of the previous Board meeting, and all reports on development applications to the Development Permit Board, Advisory Panel members and all applicants. These materials are delivered by courier late in the week before the next scheduled Board meeting.
[ return to top ]
Opportunities to appeal are available in some circumstances and applicants should refer to brochure #4, How To . . . Appeals to the Board of Variance and Parking Variance Board in Vancouver, for detailed information on appeals of development decisions.
Much of the information required for a major development application
is very technical and will require professionals to provide. The following
is a general explanation of the process:
Sufficient information must be submitted to enable development applications
(preliminary or complete) to be understood, considered and evaluated with
regard to the Zoning
and Development By-law, Official
or Area Development Plans, and Land
Use and Development Policies and Guidelines. This information is relevant for applications which may be reviewed by the Development Permit Board, Director of Planning, the Citizens’ Advisory Committees, the Vancouver Heritage Commission, the Urban Design Panel, Council, and members of the public who wish to review the proposal.
Preliminary Development Applications
Preliminary submission material describes and illustrates the concept of a development proposal. Free hand drawings and less formal presentation formats are therefore acceptable, provided that the information is legible and accurate. Applicants are expected to document all technical information, based on by law requirements. Technical checks will not be made by City staff until the complete application stage. (A checklist for preliminary applications is not currently available.)
Complete Development Applications
Complete submission material must comprehensively and accurately describe and illustrate all aspects of a fully executed development proposal. The required technical data and design drawings are detailed in the DE Checklist – Major Applications (Complete) (PDF).
The checklist is divided into 3 sections:
- Forms, Fees and Technical Reports;
- Drawings Required; and
- Urban Design/Graphic Materials.
Applications will not be accepted unless all of the application information detailed in the Checklist is received. It should be noted that additional graphic materials (model, photo board, colour and material samples, etc.) are required one week prior to the Urban Design Panel Meeting, usually scheduled within 2-4 weeks of application. Additional materials are also required if making a Heritage Rehabilitation Application.
[ return to top ]
Major development applications generally take longer to review and process than minor development applications due to the detailed reviews by all City departments, the Urban Design Panel, the Development Permit Staff Committee and the Development Permit Board. These reviews (to the date of decision), including the notification of neighbouring property owners, require approximately three months, excluding time spent by the applicant to submit any additional information that might be required.
Complete development applications submitted following preliminary application approval are often referred to the Director of Planning for approval when applications are straight forward, high quality, and not controversial. Time may be saved in this process by adhering to these standards.
Applicants submitting major proposals are encouraged to obtain preliminary approval before submitting a complete application. In this way, the conceptual issues surrounding a particular development proposal are resolved at the preliminary stage. Details of the development are then resolved at the complete stage. The cost of preparing detailed, complete drawings and architectural models is expensive and time consuming, so a preliminary application involving simple drawings and massing models is a useful means of ensuring that the fundamental aspects of a proposal are acceptable. This is in contrast to spending time, money and effort on a complete proposal which may be refused due to a basic issue that could have been addressed earlier in the process.
Small scale, non controversial proposals may be submitted as complete development applications where no purpose would be served by a preliminary review.
[ return to top ]
PHONE
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
General enquiries on Development and Building 604-873-7613
/ 7611
Trades Permits Applications (Plumbing, Gas, Electrical, and Street Occupancy
Permits) 604-873-7608 / 7062 / 7052 / 7600
Enquiries on notification and status of Development
Applications 604-873-7344
Status of Building Permit Applications, except field
reviews 604-873-7611
Subdivision and Strata Enquiries 604-871-6627 / 604-873-7556
Tree Permits and Landscape Plan Review (Enquiries on Tree By-law, landscaping
and tree removal) 604-871-6378
LICENCES AND INSPECTIONS
Inspections 604-873-7601 / 7603
Business Licences 604-873-7568
Secondary Suites 604-873-7945
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Rezoning Centre (General enquiries on rezoning) 604-873-7455
Heritage Planning 604-873-7506
SUPPORT SERVICES - BY-LAW ADMINISTRATION
Occupancy Permits 604-873-7539
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Building Grades 604-873-7316
Permits Counter 604-873-7216
Development Permit Coordinator (Engineering Requirements) 604-873-7773
IN PERSON
City Hall is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday (*please
note exceptions in brackets)
|
Development Services
Enquiry Centre - East Wing, 2nd Floor (*8:30 to 4:30; Limited Service on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 10:00 am, due to staff meeting)
Processing Centre - East Wing, 3rd Floor (*8:30 to 4:30)
2675 Yukon Street (11th and Yukon)
|
Planning Department
Rezoning Centre & Heritage Planning
East Wing, 3rd Floor
2675 Yukon Street (11th and Yukon) |
|
Support Services (*8:30 to 4:30)
By-law Administration
East Wing, 2nd Floor
2675 Yukon Street (11th and Yukon) |
Engineering Services
Engineering Permit Counter
Main Building, Main Floor
453 West 12th Avenue (12th and Cambie) |
MAIL
Clearly mark the Department (and division or area of department if
possible) on the envelope and send to:
City of Vancouver
(department name here)
453 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4
FAX
Board of Variance 604-873-7475
Enquiry Centre 604-873-7100
Processing Centre 604-873-7100
Subdivision and Strata 604-873-7100
Licences and Inspections 604-873-7100
Support Services 604-873-7100
Planning Department 604-873-7100
Engineering Services 604-871-6191
VANMAP ( www.vancouver.ca/vanmap )
A web-based map system providing property information such as, property
lines, zoning information, aerial photos, addresses, parks, etc.
[ return to top ]
|
