DEVELOPMENT SERVICES REVIEW

Applicants have expressed concerns to Development Services managers and to City Council regarding aspects of the current development application process. In response to these concerns, and in keeping with its commitment to ongoing improvement, the City commissioned an independent review of the situation in early 2018. Neilson Strategies was retained to conduct the review.

We began the review by examining the forces and factors that affect development in high-growth centres such as West Kelowna. These forces and factors create the context in which issues and concerns regarding the development application process must be considered. We then identified and examined a set of issues for the City to consider. Issues included:

• Communication with applicants • staffing levels • “late hits”
• Applicant contributions to development-related costs
• Submission requirements • timeline for approvals
• Culture

Recommendations, informed by best practices in other jurisdictions, were provided to address the issues. The final report was presented to Council in a half-day workshop that was open to the public.

A copy of the Development Application Process Review can be downloaded.