The City of Revelstoke’s development services department is expecting 2018 to be a busy year for development in Revelstoke.
In a report submitted to City Council on Jan. 14, Nigel Whitehead, director of development services, says that through discussions with the development community, he believes the current upward trend of developing in Revelstoke could continue this year.
Last year saw a value of $30,324,000 in total building permit construction values. That’s up 57 per cent from 2016 and up 102 per cent from 2015.
Whitehead said that a number of planning applications that were submitted in 2017 are still in line and the department is aiming to clear the backlog in the first quarter of the year.
“Achievement of this objective will be dependent both on staff capacity, as well as applicants’ ability to provide revised drawings as necessary,” Whitehead’s report said.
He said the department plans to create a brochure that will outline the minimum submission standards for planning applications.
“This is a common document among most municipalities and will assist applicants in understanding what information is necessary in order to process an application as quickly as possible,” the report said.
Whitehead’s report said that staff struggled last year “with a lack of formal departmental procedures, and outdated, ineffective procedures where they do exist. Previous staff did not update documented procedures, leaving their positions along with their institutional knowledge required to efficiently complete applications.”
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Whitehead began as the City of Revelstoke’s director of development services in April 2017.
His report said that the department will be “aggressively” pursuing improved departmental procedures, so they’re ready come the 2018 build season.
City of Revelstoke Development Activity in 2017
Rezoning applications: 16
Subdivision applications: 9
Development permit applications: 18
Development variance applications: 15
Heritage alteration permits: 7
Total planning applications: 65