Last year was a big year for development in Sechelt, according to the district’s 2016 annual report.
A total of 140 building permits were issued in 2016, along with 38 development permits, which are required for large developments.
Of the building permits approved, 83 were worth more than $100,000, suggesting the majority of permits issued were for larger building projects than just home renovations.
By comparison, in 2015, just 27 development applications were approved and 108 building permits issued. The year prior, 29 development permit applications were approved and 81 building permits were issued.
Twenty development permits and 97 building permits were approved in 2013, 20 development permits and 108 building permits in 2012, and nine development permits and 120 building permits in 2011.
The figures were reported by interim director of planning and development services Doug Stewart in the district’s annual report. Stewart said that 2016 was “the busiest year in recent memory” for the planning department.
Sechelt council has been under a lot of scrutiny from the public in recent months for what has been perceived as the stalling of development applications under the current council, which took office in November 2014.
