BC Climate Action Toolkit
Published on BC Climate Action Toolkit (http://www.toolkit.bc.ca)

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Approaches to Fast Tracking

  • Local governments already have the authority to establish administrative policies to fast track green or other development applications.  
  • Fast tracking green development is about removing barriers and encouraging sustainable development that contributes to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and creates healthier communities.  
  • Fast tracking includes streamlining approval processes, removing red tape and moving green development applications to the front of the approval line.  Green development is a proposal that includes sustainable elements such as: sites that take advantage of existing infrastructure and transit lines; and structures that conserve energy, water and building materials.
  • Green developments are proposals which are often based on certain predetermined green standards.  Green standards reward developments that consist of:  sustainable site locations; consume less energy, water; produce less waste; use sustainable materials and resources; and create healthier communities and building environments.
  • Local governments can fast track rezoning, development permit and subdivision applications for developments that meet their criteria. Existing local government policies include: fast tracking re-zoning based on predetermined green criteria; prep-application developer/staff approval meetings; and reduced fees for buildings that meet a green standard. The City of Port Coquitlam uses a Sustainability Checklist [1] as part of its development application process and applications that score well on this checklist are fast-tracked through the rezoning and development permit approval process.
  • Local governments can also fast track building permit applications for green buildings that meet their criteria.

Source URL: http://www.toolkit.bc.ca/approaches-fast-tracking#comment-0

Links
[1] http://www.toolkit.bc.ca/tool/sustainability-checklist