Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the article that recently appeared in Pique, titled “Whistler Building Permit Revenues Declined as Muni Hall Worked Through Backlog.”
This article feels somewhat misleading, which is why I’d like to clarify a few points.
The subtitle states, “Building permit wait times have been significantly cut in Whistler this year, but a fundamental shift in the demand for and nature of the work came with a steep drop in revenues for municipal hall’s building department.” While it may be true that the Municipality has experienced a sharp drop in Building Department revenues, recent permit wait times experienced by the industry have not been significantly reduced.
The Municipality’s website, whistler.ca, provides estimated wait times for “Initial Review,” which simply refers to the first time an application is reviewed after reaching the top of the backlog. As of October 8, 2024, these wait times are:
Residential (Single Family and Duplexes): Currently reviewing applications submitted in June 2024 – 5 months.
Multi-Family Residential: Currently reviewing applications submitted in July 2024 – 4 months.
Commercial: Currently reviewing applications submitted in July 2024 – 4 months.
While we applaud the reduced time for permit reviews, this improvement does not equate to a significant reduction in the total permit issuance timeline.
When asked about factors contributing to long permit wait times, the RMOW Building Department often mentions that applicants rarely submit complete applications. Although this may be a factor, the widespread difficulty across the industry in completing applications suggests an ineffective process rather than a failure on the part of individual applicants. Builders, architects, engineers, and homeowners regularly report being asked for new or previously unspecified information, which isn’t listed on the permit application checklist.
Online applications could mitigate these issues by providing a consistent checklist that must be completed before submission. Other jurisdictions have successfully implemented this approach, and our members have reported positive experiences with it.
We recognize the challenges faced by the Municipality, including the cyber hack, the pandemic, and Bill 44 legislation. Staff at the Municipality are doing important work under difficult circumstances, and we commend their efforts. However, there appears to be limited focus on identifying and addressing systemic issues within the current process. Although staff shortages play a role, an innovative approach to streamline the lengthy approval, permitting, and inspection processes would be beneficial.
Simply hiring more staff does not resolve the problem if the process itself is flawed. Direction from leadership is needed to equip staff with the tools required to make meaningful improvements.
Our industry was recently surveyed to gather feedback on experiences with local jurisdictions, and the results clearly indicated a need for the Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) to advocate more effectively at the municipal and regional levels. While our national and provincial CHBA branches focus on advocacy with federal and provincial governments, we need stronger collaboration with local jurisdictions to address industry challenges.
The survey also revealed a perception among respondents that local government is not facilitating timely implementation of regulations and often follows ineffective processes, particularly in Whistler. A comprehensive review of the RMOW’s permitting and regulatory processes could yield valuable insights.
Additional survey findings included:
Online estimates of initial review wait times do not align with actual experiences.
Permit wait times, rising costs, shifting policies, and uncertainties are impeding the housing industry and delaying necessary construction.
Minor changes to permitted scopes frequently result in unnecessary delays.
There is a need for consistent interpretation of the Building Code and consistent implementation of regulations.
Permit wait times for simple renovations are comparable to those for new buildings, suggesting a need for a streamlined process.
In your article, you mentioned that as of August 23, 2022, the RMOW had 524 building permit applications and 417 property information requests, with an initial review process of about four months. While this may have been accurate at the time, wait times recently reached nine months for an initial review of a renovation. These delays undermine industry efficiency.
In addition to the revenue decline mentioned in the article, an increasing number of homeowners are opting to perform work without permits, frustrated by the lengthy approval process. Although our members always advocate for proper permitting, homeowners facing extended wait times and increased regulation are increasingly turning to unpermitted work, creating a rise in the underground economy.
The Sea to Sky CHBA holds regular meetings with local authorities in Squamish, Pemberton, and Whistler to collaborate on industry challenges. While the Whistler working group meets quarterly with the Building and Planning Departments, our efforts often fall short as suggested improvements are dismissed as unfeasible.
One example is the adoption of online application submissions. Most other jurisdictions accept online applications and electronic submissions, and they permit photographic proof of work completion. Despite our repeated requests since 2021, Whistler has not yet implemented online submissions. Instead, we are told that a custom-built solution compatible with RMOW’s legacy systems is in development. We eagerly await its implementation.
While resource constraints undoubtedly contribute to the challenges, we believe immediate improvements could be made if there were a directive to do so. The current workflow inherently causes delays, and when systemic delays are persistent, it is time to change the system.
Whistler strives to be a gold standard in service across various sectors, from skiing to mountain biking and four-season tourism. It would be fitting to extend this standard to the construction industry and the homeowners investing in this community.
One of the priorities identified by this Mayor and Council is improving community engagement.
We welcome the opportunity to collaborate further to address the pressing issues facing the industry and the community.
Housing remains a critical challenge, and reducing the time required to build more of it should be a top priority.
Sincerely,
Tom McColm, President
Sea to Sky Canadian Home Builders Association
*the letter is quoted in Brandon Barret's article "Whistler builders push back against RMOW’s claims of reduced permit wait times", published November 1st. 2024 in Whistler's Pique Newsmagazine.
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