Typical costs include application fees outlined in Development Application Fees and Charges | Bylaw No. 1483, required plans or drawings (legal surveys, site plans, building elevations, landscape plans), professional studies or technical reports, legal surveys and legal fees associated with the application.
Development permit areas
Development Permit Areas (DPAs) identify locations that need special treatment to protect development from hazardous conditions (such as flooding, erosion, land slip, rock falls, fire hazard), protect the natural environment, ecosystems and biodiversity or establish guidelines to regulate the siting, form, character and landscaping of commercial development.
DPAs are identified in the applicable Official Community Plan, or Joe Rich Rural Land Use | Bylaw No. 1195. They describe the conditions and outline the objectives that require an additional layer of oversight for how proposed development may occur in that area. The Regional District may approve a development permit (DP) with conditions for development to meet specific objectives.
A DP may be required before development, construction, subdivision, or site disturbance occurs on a property. Once issued, all development and construction must follow the conditions of the DP during and after development.
Types of DPAs
- Sensitive aquatic ecosystem DPAs
- Sensitive terrestrial ecosystem DPAs
- Hillside DPAs
- Wildfire development permit areas
- View sample wildfire covenant
- To request an editable version, have your legal representative email planning@rdco.com
- Form, character and landscaping DPAs
Applications
Properties within a DPA, may require a DP before any land disturbance occurs or before a building permit can be approved. For example, a DP may indicate:
- Buildable areas, materials and utility servicing
- Covenants
- Floodplain setbacks and flood construction levels
- Landscaping restoration or enhancement on the site
- Site disturbance restrictions
Property information is available on RDCO maps.
To get started, email to book a meeting with a planner to talk about your project, review requirements and obtain additional information before submitting an application. Applying does not guarantee approval.
DP applications typically take eight to 10 weeks. If a Regional Board review is required for the application, the process typically takes three to four months. Refer to the Development Application Procedures | Bylaw No. 1527 for information on delegation of authority for issuance of development permits.
Staff may request more information during the process, which could increase processing time. An applicant can considerably reduce delays by supplying prompt replies with complete information.
An approved DP can lapse if relevant construction has not substantially started within one year of the date of issue.
- Preliminary design discussion
Email to book a meeting with a planner to discuss initial ideas and drawings to better understand requirements and expectations. Staff will follow up with application forms and site-specific information. - Complete and submit application
Include all necessary forms, documents and application fees. - Application review
Staff and relevant agencies provide comments on the proposal. Staff to prepare a report for the Regional Board or the Director of Development and Engineering services (if applicable). - Consideration of application
The Regional Board or Director may approve the application, not approve it or defer the decision pending more information or clarification. - Approval
Approved DPs will include conditions that must be met. Staff notify the applicant and register the DP on the property title. If applicable, proceed to a building permit application.
Professional reports
The RDCO may require professional reports from a qualified environmental professional before issuing a DP. All professional reports must comply with the terms of reference for professional reports.
Depending on the proposal, the following technical information may be required:
- Geotechnical study
- Environmental impact assessment
- Wildfire hazard assessment
- Storm water management and drainage plans
- Groundwater management assessments
- Flood protection measures
- Visual quality assessments
- Traffic impact and pedestrian safety studies
- Water and wastewater servicing reports
- Sediment, erosion, drainage control
Qualified environmental professionals
A qualified environmental professional (QEP) is an applied scientist or technologist. They must be registered and in good standing with an appropriate BC professional organization. Examples could include a professional biologist, agrologist, geoscientist, engineer, or technologist.
Security bonding
When mitigation, maintenance or monitoring is a condition of the DP, the property owner must provide a security deposit in the amount of 125% of the estimated cost of the prescribed work before the DP is issued. The QEP preparing technical reports for the application will estimate that amount. After development a QEP must submit a completion report. If all items included in Schedule A of the DP are completed, 90% of the bond amount will be returned. After two full grow seasons, the site will be inspected by a QEP or RDCO staff to verify maintenance, then the remaining 10% of the bond amount may be returned.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Environmentally Sensitive Areas are sites identified in BC’s Ecosystem mapping, habitat areas classified at local, provincial or federal level or natural areas important to the life cycle of indigenous species. These are described in more detail in the terms of reference for professional reports.
Exemptions
In a DPA, a development permit is required unless an exemption applies. Exemption criteria vary depending on the DPA within each Official Community Plan or Joe Rich Rural Land Use | Bylaw No. 1195.
Rural Westside environmental assessments for small lot subdivisions
Environmental assessments for some of the existing small lot subdivisions in the Rural Westside Official Community Plan | Bylaw No. 1274 have been completed. These assessments benefit residents by refining some of the DPAs to more accurately represent environmental conditions and features that exist within the community.
Environmental assessments have been completed for the following:
These environmental assessments inform existing sensitive aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem DPAs in the respective subdivisions.
