Vancouver Proposes Pilot Project to Omit Certain Guidelines and Relax Trees By-Law to Expediate Development Application Processing

Vancouver Proposes Pilot Project to Omit Certain Guidelines and Relax Trees By-Law to Expediate Development Application Processing

  • Commercial Real Estate
  • Real Estate
  • Vancouver
June 23, 2021

The council is making several recommendations to the city in an attempt to speed up redevelopment application time. The amount of redevelopment application has been piling up and taking too long to process. It will slow down the whole development process at a time where more housing supply is needed. Furthermore, the city has been overloaded with previous work accumulated during COVID. A business address change can take two to four months processing time. The process needs to be simplified to get everything back on track.

The latest recommendation the council made is divided into two categories: a pilot project type which will last for 12 months and a permanent policy change. Both are in favour of real estate developer and individual owners.

Recommendation:

  1. Not to enforce certain design guidelines for one and two family dwelling seeking a development permit in specific neighbourhoods (RS-3 and RS-3A, RS-5, RT-3, RT-6, RT-7, RT-8, RT-9 and RT-10 Zoning Districts) (12 Month Project)
  2. Not to enforce specific sections of the Protection of Trees By-law to enable faster processing of development permit applications and reduce further growth of backlogs; (12 Months Project)
  3. Amendment to section 2.2. of the Protection of Trees By-law, to define a tree as having a diameter of 30 cm., rather than the existing 20 cm
  4. 12-month delay in the implementation of amendments to the Building By-law, as set out in sections 19 through 42 of By-law No. 12692, relating to mandatory zero emission building construction guidelines for all new homes.

The changes are expected to save 10,170 processing weeks derived from an average savings of 2 weeks on approximately 5000 applications.

Recommendation 1: will temporary relaxation to deprioritize details review of the architectural design: composition, doors and windows, material, and detailing, and focus on roof and overall form.

Recommendation 2: a temporary relaxation to only conduct Landscape reviews for life safety concerns and deprioritize the character landscape reviews associated with design guidelines in certain neighbourhoods for the duration of the relaxation period.

Recommendation 3: When an arborist report is required, the council wants to relax current requirement to require an arborist only in situations of life-safety, or trees over a certain size. A greater flexibility when trees conflict with accessory buildings. an amendment to the Protection of Trees By-law redefining a small tree as a tree with a diameter of less than 30 cm (increasing the non-enforcement threshold and when a permit is required from 20cm to 30 cm diameter).

Yoyoe Lu

Founder and managing principal
yoyoe@claridgeadvisors.com

Yoyoe is the founder and managing principal of Claridge. She was ranked one of Vancouver’s top real estate agents. Currently, Yoyoe is our strategic mind leading the team to success. Her affiliation with industry professionals put her ahead of our competitors. Yoyoe is also part of the Rotary Club of West Vancouver, Canadian Homebuilders Association, Urban Land Institute and Urban Development Institute.

Ashley Osborn

Development Site and Investment Specialist
ashley@claridgeadvisors.com

Ashely is our lead land and investment advisor. He has been consistently featured in the annual top 100 real estate deals of British Columbia ranking. With over $15 billion worth of domestic and international real estate investments under his belt, Ashley is one of the top agents in the province. His 20 years of real estate and financial experience make him a master in negotiation and acquisition.

Patricia Wong Chong

Investment and Leasing Specialist
patricia@claridgeadvisors.com

Patricia is our investment and retail leasing advisor. Her experience in brokerage and market research analysis has helped her comprise over $550 million in commercial real estate transactions. Patricia is responsible, detail-oriented, and professional. Her strong work ethic and positive attitude have led her to surpass all her competitors.

Schumann Li

Land Assembly & Residential Specialist
schumann@claridgeadvisors.com

Schumann is a top-producing realtor in the Lower Mainland with more than 30 years’ experience. Over the years, Schumann hasn’t just garnered awards, but the trust of countless customers. Her clients continually refer to her outstanding professionalism, work ethic and poise.

Wendy Kaip

Sales Associate
wendy@claridgeadvisors.com

Whether it’s decoding city policies, strategizing relocation plans, home sellers looking for a trustworthy advisor to unlock their property’s maximum potential- Wendy is here to help every step along the way.

Prior to real estate, Wendy spent over a decade in the mining industry with her attention to detail, keen negotiation skills, extensive network and strong reputation for getting the deal done, bringing endless value to her current real estate clients.

Whether you are thinking about selling to a developer, or have more questions about commercial real estate, Wendy invites you to connect, to see how she can utilize her expertise and team to help create value and maximize your real estate goals.

Simon Chan

Managing Broker
simon@claridgeadvisors.com

Simon is the managing broker of Claridge Real Estate Advisors Inc. His expertise has helped our agents resolve many difficulties. Not only is Simon knowledgeable with real estate legislation, but he is also very detail orientated. With Simon on our team, our agents are confident to conduct businesses and will always get the support they need to ensure they’re not walking on dirty water.

Frank Zhou

Analyst
frank@claridgeadvisors.com

As the analyst of the company, my key job is to help brokers to find marketable clients and locate feasible development sites by collecting and analyzing up-to-date market transaction data and conducting target market and property-level research. Meanwhile, I am also in charge of maintaining the company’s property database to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness and continuously upgrading the level of knowledge by staying up to date with hot topics, and market trends, and incorporating findings into everyday work. Before joining the company, I worked for CR Group as a real estate investment manager, focusing on capital raising, equity and debt financing, acquisition and renovation. I hold 2 master’s degrees, one in Housing Management and the other in Economics.

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