Collingwood council approved a new building bylaw and new permit fees at its meeting last night.
The bylaw is a result of several months work by Collingwood’s building services department to update the former bylaw (passed in 2005) while also incorporating changes made to the Building Code Act since then.
According to a staff report by Chief Building Official (CBO) Greg Miller delivered to council last night, other changes made to the building bylaw were the result of technology upgrades allowing the department to accept electronic permit applications.
Miller’s report also stated the new bylaw takes into consideration various feedback from staff, residents, property owners, developers, and designers who have provided comments over the years on the former bylaw.
According to the CBO, there are no increases for standard permits (a new home, or an industrial or commercial building) and there are no increases for items such as deck permits or residential projects.
There is, however, a new flat fee of $125 for permits for detached garages and accessory buildings. Formerly, the building permit fee was based on the square footage of the building. This change could mean a reduced fee in many cases.
The updated bylaw, passed unanimously at the meeting on May 27, includes the framework for a deposit system for new residential construction permit applications.
There’s also a new option available for building permit fees to be refunded in the case of an abandoned, withdrawn, or rejected permit application.
A schedule attached to the bylaw sets out how much of a refund an applicant is eligible for based on how much work has been done on the permit application by town staff. In a case where the permit has been issued, but no field inspections have been performed, the applicant is eligible to receive 45 per cent of the permit fee back.
According to town staff, the new bylaw also goes further than the last iteration to provide clarity on what is required to obtain a building permit and how fees are calculated.
One of the more technical additions to the new building bylaw includes a requirement to submit a certificate from an Ontario land surveyor, professional engineer, architect, or certified engineering technologist confirming the elevation of the foundation of house conforms to the Building Code and the grading plan approved by the town.
Work on framing a house is not permitted until this certificate is submitted to the CBO.
According to staff, the purpose for this change is to minimize future grading issues that might cause drainage issues for the property being built and/or to the properties surrounding it.
It is a requirement in the Ontario Building Code that a build site be graded so that water will not accumulate at or near the building and will not adversely affect adjacent properties.
According to the Ontario Building Code, exterior foundation walls should be extended at least six inches above ground level.
The certification requirement is the town of Collingwood’s way of enforcing this measure of the Ontario Building Code.
Prior to passing the bylaw, the town hosted a public meeting as per the requirements of the Building Code. The meeting took place on April 29. The town did not receive any written comments following the meeting.
You can read the new bylaw and fee schedule along with Miller’s report to council here.