If you build without permission, they will ding you.
Council recently supported changes to fines for people who clear land or begin construction without proper permits.
Two new surcharges of $5,000 are being introduced for both development variances permit applications and site alteration permits when unpermitted work has been done.
“The development variance permit application will cost $5,500, $500 being the standard development variance permit fee,” Jonas Velaniskis, director of development services at the District of Squamish, told council on Nov. 15 when he presented the fees and charges bylaw amendment.
The site alteration permit will cost $5,250, $250 being the standard fee for that permit, he added.
The goal is to have people comply by getting the proper permits before they start work, according to Velaniskis.
“Our fines are not very large and they are usually acceptable to certain land owners as a way of doing business, so this would at least account for the staff resources,” he said.
Building permit fee surcharges for projects started without a building permit are going up to 150 per cent of the standard permit fee. Currently the surcharge is capped at a total of $500. The new surcharge would set a minimum of $1,000.
When work is started without a proper permit staff must investigate and address each case, which can take significant time depending on the situation, according to a report to council.
Coun. Doug Race said council had asked staff to come back with these proposals after issues with previous variance permit applications when a structure had been started before council had OK’d it.
“It gives council an extra tool,” he said, adding council can still refuse the variance and demand the offending structure be torn down.
A comprehensive site alteration bylaw is in the works, Valeniskis said, and will include increased penalties for people who begin work, such as removing trees off a lot, without permission. The current fine is $1,000 per offence.
The increases will come before a future council for final adoption.
