Vancouver pilot fast tracks permits

June 09 2018

The City of Vancouver is launching a new fast lane pilot program for experienced home builders to reduce building permit processing times from 28 to 38 weeks to six to eight weeks. It is aimed at detached house permits.
The Applicant Supported and Assisted Process (ASAP) pilot is designed to expedite the city’s goal to create 10,000 new ground-level homes over the next 10 years. The first phase of the pilot will include 20 to 30 projects to test new ideas, which could then be scaled into the regular permitting process—if they prove successful.
Vancouver has seen unprecedented levels of development over the past five years. Last year the city issued over 1,300 permits for new detached homes.
The pilot program includes running aspects of the application in parallel, requiring certain information at the start of the process instead of mid-stream, and issuing permits at the same time where applicable.
“The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association is fully supportive of [this] ASAP permitting pilot project. We have been working with city staff for several years on this project and are very pleased to see it reach the piloting stage,” said Bob de Wit, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association.