Reducing "Minor" Variance Processing Times

On Monday June 27, 2022, Council voted to support reducing “minor” variance processing times from 3 weeks down to 1-2 weeks by adjusting the public notice process to align with direction provided under Section 498.1 of the Local Government Act.

Under the new process, public notice requirements are waived for the issuance of "minor" Development Variance Permits allowed under Delegation Bylaw No. 2467. By not requiring public notice on “minor” variances, the timeline for the approval of an application could be as little as 1 week.

This process improvement expedites the time it takes for Fernie home owners to break ground on construction projects requiring a "minor" variance, and significantly reduces the staff time required to process each application by 3 hours - from 9 hours, down to 6 hours approx. per application.

Minor Variance Application Process adopted by Council on May 24, 2022 (WITH PUBLIC NOTICE)

Application Intake (1 hour) → Permit Review (2 hours) → Communication with Applicant (varies – 2 hours) → Public Notice (3 hours) → Permit Issuance and Close File (1 Hour)
Total Employee Hours (Estimated, Average): 9
Total Timeline (Estimated, Average): 3 weeks

NEW Minor Variance Application Process adopted by Council on June 27, 2022 (WITHOUT PUBLIC NOTICE)

Application Intake (1 hour) → Permit Review (2 hours) → Communication with Applicant (varies – 2 hours) → Permit Issuance and Close File (1 Hour)
Total Employee Hours (Estimated, Average): 6
Total Timeline (Estimated, Average): 1-2 weeks

Read more about this important process improvement in the report supported by Council at the Regular meeting of Council on June 27, 2022.

Information on how to apply for a Development Variance Permit is available on the City of Fernie website.