RDN Building permit wait times are up to 16 weeks

Rachelle Stein-Wotten

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder

Building permit wait times are up to 16 weeks in the Regional District of Nanaimo.

That’s up a week since July, and an extra four weeks compared to February 2022.

Lexie Boekenkruger, acting manager of RDN building inspection services, said a number of factors play into wait times including number of applications submitted, type and complexity of applications, seasonal construction, staffing levels and daily inspection requests. Adequate staffing “remains a challenge.”

There is no difference in wait times between renovations and new builds, the RDN said. According to the monthly building reports released by the RDN, in June, the regional district issued 31 permits versus 58 in June 2022. The reports do not indicate how many applications were applied for.

The RDN is still in the process of conducting a development approvals process review for which it received a provincial grant. Boekenkruger said the consultant, KPMG, will be submitting its recommendations for improvements to procedures and workflows in the next few months.

“As part of the process review, technology upgrades were identified as a priority as well. We have been working on upgrades and are currently testing the first phase of improvements.”

The full review findings and planned changes will be presented to the board later this year.