Centre for Wellbeing, Victoria, BC. credit: Andrew Doran

It's what you don't know or don't expect that will cause trouble for a development project. But good process will help to minimize risk and support successful projects.

Community engagement is "good business" for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to uncover issues and defuse tensions. "Open houses will bring to light issues that special interest groups regard as contentious," relates Jeff Simpson of Kaizen CRE Solutions. "It is valuable to gain an understanding of contrary viewpoints early and in a controlled environment." Taking steps to be as inclusive as possible is good process that has a direct relationship to a successful outcome.

Securing development approvals is, of course, necessary to advance a development project, but it's a process rife with challenge. Rezoning is one such challenge. "If a development site is zoned for uses incompatible with the intentions of the owner, or the proposed density of the project exceeds the stipulated floor area ratio (FAR), then filing an application to rezone is the administrative protocol," Simpson explains. "Depending on the nature of the rezoning case and the authority of jurisdiction, these applications can take anywhere from six months to a number of years before fourth and final adoption of the bylaw is enacted." It only makes sense, then, to take steps to streamline the process as much as possible.

Download Fall 2018

Want tips on good process? Read Simpson’s tips for better community consultation, securing development approvals, and refining construction costs in “Community Consultation, Development Approvals, and Construction Costs” in the Fall 2018 edition of Input. Download Fall 2018

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