City of Fernie Development Approvals Enhancement

2022-2023 | Fernie, BC

The City of Fernie recognized the pressing need to tackle housing challenges and enhance its development application process. In October 2022, they launched a Development Approval Enhancement Project with funding support from the Union of BC Municipalities.

This initiative was strategically designed to bolster the city’s capacity in managing development approvals and enhancing housing accessibility. The City of Fernie is a fun place to live, being in close proximity to industry, a vibrant downtown, and a hub for outdoor recreation. The city has experienced rapid population growth, which led to an increase in development applications. As housing construction costs are continuing to rise, so too is the City’s population. The initiative had three primary objectives:

To development a comprehensive strategy for basic process improvements
To create transparency and clarity across development application information
To transition towards an advanced digital permitting system

McElhanney was engaged to improve the overall capacity of the City’s organization to handle the increasing demand for development approvals and address the pressing issues related to attainable housing, access, and streamline processing of development applications. This project marks a significant step towards enhancing efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness in Fernie’s development approvals process.

Key deliverables of this project included a development approval process and policies review report, a development and permitting software needs assessment, and an array of development applications guides and checklists. The project transformed the way Fernie manages development applications by creating a more efficient, transparent, and responsive development approval system.

McElhanney provided: