COQUITLAM, B.C., April 4, 2023 – The City of Coquitlam continues to make significant progress in supporting new housing and other community amenities through partnerships and development application process improvements.
City staff recently updated Council on the five-year milestone of the Development Application Process Review (DAPR) program and highlighted notable achievements that have not only saved staff time and resources, but also improved flexibility and customer service for qualifying development applications.
Of 49 recommendations from the report launching the process review in 2017, 32 have been completed or operationalized, 14 are underway and three remain as future work items. These achievements have been important in working to meet the urgent need for more housing in the region, while also ensuring that development in Coquitlam is still happening in alignment with all regulations, plans and best practices.
Improvements Bring More Efficiency, Flexibility
Coquitlam’s review program has worked to ensure the development process is as efficient and effective as possible through operational efficiencies, the use of automation, enhanced customer service, and strong partnerships with the development industry.
Key achievements in the five years of the program include:
- Efficient file management: Through software upgrades, new online functions for managing application information are helping improve consistency, tracking, transparency and record-keeping for application files. These improvements will be particularly helpful for large-scale multi-year projects when City or applicant staff assigned to a project may change over time.
- New Development Information Portal: A new public-facing portal, launched in 2022, has an interactive map showing properties with current or recent development applications and provides details, such as linked reports and feedback opportunities.
- Enhanced Support for Development Applicants: Applicants now have the option of scheduling an enquiry meeting with staff prior to completing an application. The pre-application process has been refocused to provide development applicants feedback tailored to the different stages of the development process.
- Better Use of Technology and Automation: Upgrades to technology and automation have moved significant portions of the development approvals process online including referrals, financial calculations, plans review and file management. This earned the City a 2022 Granicus Digital Government Award as a Tech Trailblazer.
Proposed Initiatives for 2023 and Beyond
In addition to the work completed to date, the City’s continues to look at further opportunities to improve service levels with a focus on enabling the construction of new housing. The following initiatives are being explored or implemented in the coming years:
- New Development and Building Permit Application Portal: The City is in the final stages of launching a new online portal for E-Plans and development and building permits, funded by a $465,000 grant from B.C.’s Local Government Development Approvals Program, administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities. The portal will enable online applications, payments and document submission, allow applicants to track submissions, and improve communication between applicants and City staff.
- Real-time Digital Building Inspection Reports: Using technology to send digital inspection reports directly to applicants from the field without having to print paper reports or return to City Hall to input information.
- Building Permit Project Number and Tracking: Enabling better tracking of the building permit process through a new project number Building Project Folder, mirroring the new system for development applications.
About the Development Application Process Review
The Development Application Process Review is a top-level priority in Coquitlam’s annual business plan and supports the City’s strategic goal of Excellence in City Governance. With the aim of enhancing all aspects of the application process, the work has entailed a detailed review and update of workflows, timelines, tools, standards and associated guidelines and policies.
The process review efforts build on in-house expertise with best practices and industry feedback. This has included quarterly meetings between the City and Urban Development Institute, along with a Developer Forum workshop series. Coquitlam also helped form Municipal Innovators Community – West, a network of public servants across Metro Vancouver that meets to share innovative process improvements, best practices and lessons learned. In 2022, the project team launched the Development Information Portal that allows users to look up Development Projects by status within the City of Coquitlam. Learn more at coquitlam.ca/development.
Coquitlam a Regional Housing Leader
Unique in Metro Vancouver, Coquitlam’s Housing Affordability Strategy has significantly improved the City’s rental housing landscape. Since the adoption of the strategy’s rental incentives in 2017, there have been over 937 new rental homes occupied, of which 732 are market rental units and 205 are below or non-market rental units. Further, there are a record 11,344 new units of purpose-built rental and 2,128 units of below-market and non-market rental in the development process in Coquitlam.
Through its Housing Affordability Strategy, the City leverages its role and available tools as a municipality to:
- Offer developers density incentives (more units) to create rental units;
- Secure partnerships with the development sector, senior levels of government and housing providers; and
- Redirect some developer density bonus contributions to the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund to support new affordable housing projects.
Over the past five years, the City of Coquitlam has granted $17.3 million through the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund to support the creation of 753 non-market and below-market rental units. The City has also committed to leasing two parcels of land at a nominal rate to non-profit housing providers in order to create affordable housing for seniors.
The results, as reported in Coquitlam’s Housing Affordability Strategy 2022 Progress Report, have positioned Coquitlam as one of the major contributors of secured rental housing within the region. To learn more, visit coquitlam.ca/housing.
Media contact
Andrew Merrill
Director, Development Services
City of Coquitlam
604-927-3416
amerrill@coquitlam.ca