Tyler Brown, Chair of the Regional District of Nanaimo
NANAIMO – Reducing wait times for building and development permits within the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is an ongoing process, but RDN Chair Tyler Brown sees significant progress being made on that regard.
“It’s an ongoing process for our stakeholders and staff, identifying where we can improve,” he states, mentioning that recommendations from consultants KPMG tasked at identifying streamlining opportunities are expected to be presented to the RDN Board in July.
“In conjunction with that, our staff has done a good job of changing the inspection schedules,” he adds. “We have been focusing on what we can control, and staff has already been able to identify areas where we can improve and work on timelines.
“They’ve founds that sometimes there are permits coming in that are relatively minor and we can get them out quite quickly. Some, we can even issue within a day or two, if they’re simple, and that means we’re also not clogging up our own system with those small permits.”
Brown says part of their efforts in finding efficiencies includes looking into what is happening in other jurisdictions that have managed to reduce the length of time it takes to issue development permits.
“Part of our analysis is looking at best practices in other places, so we can see what is working elsewhere and can appropriately happen here,” he says. “We have to be open honest and accessible here to be our best. Our staff has been able to identify things that can change right now, and they have made some changes.”
Brown points out that the RDN has done an analysis of industrial land within its borders, and that there are developable properties that are getting ready for market.
“We know there is property within the Duke Point area, and in Errington there is inventory that is rapidly developing. We know we have these little hot spots and they are becoming incubators and we want to support them,” he says. “Seacliff Properties beside the Island Highway in South Nanaimo has some industrial property, and a chunk of land at Cable Bay next to Harmac, now owned by Nanaimo Forest Products, will be designated for industrial. There is enough land identified for industrial, it’s just a matter of changing the zoning to get them to market.
Brown observes that like other jurisdictions, the RDN is struggling to find and keep building inspection staff.
“I think when it comes right down to it, ultimately, whether it’s our building department or any other service, we really want to focus on creating a culture where we’re able to respond and do what is needed by our citizens, no matter who they are.”
That, he believes, will ultimately help improve upon permit waiting times.
“We’re taking a whole culture approach to the problem, as we know that we can reduce permit times and we will, but things are always going to come up,” he notes. “But if we have a culture that is adaptable, the changes we’re going to put in place will work no matter what the conditions are.”
Brown has enjoyed his two years as RDN Chair.
“I’ve loved it actually,” he says. “For me, it was very much a mission-oriented thing. I wanted to change a bit of the culture about how we function as a board and organization, and it’s been an enjoyable experience.”