Development Permits

Within Development Permit Areas, a Development Permit is required before undertaking any development.

In the Resort Municipality of Whistler's (RMOW's) Official Community Plan (OCP), some lands are designated as Development Permit Areas with associated guidelines for:

Form and character of residential, commercial and industrial development;
Protection of the natural environment;
Protection from hazardous conditions;
Energy and water conservation.

When is a Development Permit Required?

A Development Permit is required before undertaking any of the following types of development on land that is located within a Development Permit Area.

Alteration of land, including landscaping or removal of vegetation or trees;
Construction of, addition to, or alteration of any building or structure including repainting to a different colour, and in the original Whistler Village repainting to the same colour (interior renovations are excluded except for those that close in storefront windows with display walls and cabinets in Whistler Village and Village North); and
Subdivision of land.

To find out if your property is in a Development Permit Area, review the OCP Development Permit Area maps Schedule P (Development Permit Area Locations) and Schedule Q (Development Permit Area Designations).

If your property is located within a Development Permit Area, determine if an exemption applies for your type of development within either the OCP Development Permit Area Guidelines applicable to your property or Part 5, Section 28 of Zoning and Parking Bylaw 303, 2015. If an exemption does not apply, a Development Permit is required.

If a Development Permit is not required, you may still require:

A Building Permit prior to construction where applicable,
A Tree Cutting Permit prior to cutting, topping or limbing a tree within 20 metres of the Highway 99 right of way or a tree within a registered tree covenant area
A Bylaw Variance if your proposal is inconsistent with applicable bylaws.

Application Process

Follow the two steps below to apply for a Development Permit:

1. If your property is in a Development Permit Area and your development does not qualify for an exemption (see When is a Development Permit Required above), call 604-935-8170 to schedule a pre-application meeting with Planning Department staff. Staff will review application requirements and provide information on the approval process.

2. Submit the relevant development permit application and fees.

Review Process

Less complex Development Permit applications typically may be approved by staff. More complex developments involving subdivision of land, new buildings and building additions with floor areas greater than 20 sq. m., and alterations to more than one elevation of a building or more than one elevation of a building or more than one commercial occupancy in Development Permit Area #1, require Council approval and may take longer to assess.

Once approved, notice of the Development Permit is registered on the title of the property and is binding on existing and future owners of the property for as long as the permit is valid.

Fees

The following application fees apply:

Development Permit Application – Delegated to staff	$300
Development Permit Application – Non Delegated to staff	$750

In addition to the application fee, the rates below will be applied to all applications to cover the RMOW's direct costs of processing, reporting, analysis and inspection related to the application:

Professional staff time	$60 per hour
Clerical staff time	$30 per hour
Title Search	$21
Hand-delivered notification	$40 per hour
Legal services, newspaper ads, third party consulting	At cost