Photo by Whitehorse Star
Coun. Ted Laking
Housing regulatory process needs rethink: Laking
The city needs to review its process around zoning and permitting for housing, says Coun. Ted Laking.
The city needs to review its process around zoning and permitting for housing, says Coun. Ted Laking.
Laking said in an interview this week the process can be long and cumbersome, adding to the housing crisis that already exists in the city.
For instance, Laking explained, the city received an application in early February from a homeowner in Copper Ridge to put a living suite in his house.
Final approval was just granted by city council at its meeting last week – almost four months after the request was received, he pointed out.
He said he would like to review the city’s timelines and processes because five or six months to approve a living suite are too long when the city is already in a housing crisis.
Laking said he would like the city to review what other municipalities are doing to speed up the approval of additional housing.
Edmonton has just reduced the number of its zoning regulations from 46 to 20 in an effort to reduce red tape around new housing, he pointed out.
Laking said Whitehorse has 42 zoning regulations. While he’d like to see the number reduced just as Edmonton has done, he doesn’t have a number in mind.
“I think we need to take a hard look at this process and this zoning, as other communities are doing to speed up the process,” he said.
“You have many people having difficultly finding a home and a place to rent and a large part of that is our zoning,” Laking added.
He said at the end of the day, it’s about the housing crisis and what the city is doing to help address the difficulty.
The city needs to speed up the timelines and get more land and more housing to the market while still ticking off all the boxes such as the required consultation, Laking said.
He said every single time council talks about housing and permitting, he will be talking about streamlining.
When the city receives an application like the one it got at the beginning of February, the application needs to be looked at by the development review committee, but the committee only meets every so often, he said.
Perhaps the development review committee process can be adjusted, he added.
There is also the possibility the city’s new housing advisory committee will help speed things up, he said.
“I am currently considering the best path forward on this.”
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Comments (18)
Up 0 Down 0
MITCH on Jun 27, 2022 at 12:52 pm
@ BnR - Federal subsidies for municipal development indicate I am criticizing the right organizations, but thank you for failing to Libsplain and belying your own inefficacy, it becomes you.
Up 1 Down 0
CJ2 on Jun 9, 2022 at 10:57 pm
If we didn't have zoning, developers would be happily building nuclear reactors next to our homes.
We really are devolving into communities with no problem-solving skills. We don't need to improve or tinker with anything, be it policies or institutions. We have to start fresh. Burn it all down. Close it all down and then build something new. Something exemplified somehow for me in the South Access being closed for over a month, with not even lip service paid to the importance of opening it.
Laking's fanboy club is a bit much. He's still just one person. Let's see him exercise some skills in persuasion.
Up 0 Down 2
Mitch Holder on Jun 9, 2022 at 2:51 pm
@ BnR - our municipality resides in the jurisdiction of YTG, which lies within the jurisdiction of the federal government. Wouldn't you agree?
Up 0 Down 0
Groucho d'North on Jun 8, 2022 at 10:47 pm
@OYA
An error on my part, I was reading the YHC Annual Report and my mind was still stuck there, when I was commenting here.
https://yukon.ca/sites/yukon.ca/files/yhc-annual-report-2020-2021-pdf.pdf
Up 2 Down 0
Observer on Jun 8, 2022 at 6:46 pm
Good ole boy (servant) Ted cutting through the red tape. Today development regulations tomorrow those pesky mining regulations.
Up 10 Down 4
BnR on Jun 6, 2022 at 1:57 pm
Mitch Holder, the article is referring to the City of Whitehorse municipal government and not The Yukon Territorial Government.
The City of Whitehorse does not govern Yukoners.
Up 14 Down 6
Mitch Holder on Jun 6, 2022 at 10:19 am
You can be conscientious of urban planning, environmental protection and meeting the civil needs of your populace at the same time, it is what is expected of you for the wages we pay you. You expect us, as taxpaying citizens and residents, to be increasing tech savvy, digital and able to multitask, when you fail to exemplify any of your own expectations. Stop with the high-tech online government you are failing at and return to analog operations and ACTUALLY DO THE JOBS YOU ARE HIRED AND ELECTED TO DO. take the WEF out of your back pocket, Silver's spoon out of your mouth and MEET THE BASIC NEEDS OF YUKONERS.
Up 8 Down 0
Oya on Jun 6, 2022 at 9:27 am
@ Groucho What Board of Directors?
Up 21 Down 3
Wes on Jun 5, 2022 at 5:31 pm
By all means streamline the applications and approvals process, but keep in mind that the lot that gets streamlined approval for higher density could be the lot next to you.
It’s always great to have higher density lots as long as it’s somewhere else.
And the City really need to think harder about their building inspections department. Hiring millennials with no experience or wisdom and nothing but a chip on their shoulder to oversee inspections is a recipe for disaster.
Up 7 Down 5
Groucho d'North on Jun 5, 2022 at 4:21 pm
A tune up of the Board of Directors is in order too I believe.
Up 11 Down 7
Wilf Carter on Jun 5, 2022 at 9:37 am
Dead on
Up 19 Down 8
Vern Schlimbesser on Jun 4, 2022 at 4:52 pm
Bravo Ted.
There is no reason it has to be regulated. I have been involved in building several private houses in the city in the last year, and dozens more over the last 10 years.
Recent petty and creatively absurd behavior by City inspectors in last few experiences were pointless and they should have been embarrassed. (They weren't).
Up 32 Down 7
Nathan Living on Jun 4, 2022 at 2:50 pm
Ted wins the challenge of overcoming the City Council inertia and dogma.
It's too bad council may get four year terms since it would be nice to vote for candidates every three years.
Up 34 Down 10
Max Mack on Jun 4, 2022 at 11:21 am
I agree with Laking that one of the major factors driving home prices upward is the increased regulatory burden, not only in terms of time, but also the building and lot standards imposed by unelected committees and officials.
The National Building Code and local territorial/municipal mandates result in terrific pressure on building costs. Somehow, this aspect of regulatory burden gets a pass from the media.
Up 25 Down 10
Matthew on Jun 4, 2022 at 8:27 am
Simple, keep politicians out of it... 4 months for a permit.. Great, for example, if you want a living suite, it will cost about 15K in HRV work ALONE! Yes, thats because it's a city code.. is this affordable !?
Up 33 Down 6
Adam Smith on Jun 3, 2022 at 11:04 pm
Great questions. Questions that can be answered now and do not need a 3-year committee. Like this guy.
Up 50 Down 6
Contractor on Jun 3, 2022 at 6:36 pm
As a general contractor here in Whitehorse, I can tell you that the changes that have taken place since the departure of the past supervisor of building inspections have set us on a path to even more unaffordable and inaccessible housing in both the short, and the long-term. As I write this, I have permits that have been sitting with the city for upwards of 1 month, and I haven’t heard a thing on when they will be up for review. Once I get them, I guarantee I will be slapped with additional unexpected conditions such as legal surveys, engineering, and further design review. These are not only totally unnecessary, they don’t add value, and they will also continue to drive up the costs of construction, which will ultimately be borne by the consumer.
In times of rampant inflation, rapidly rising material and labour costs, why is it that the city can’t see the opportunity they have to streamline and assist by eliminating red tape and ensuring that permits are issued in a timely manner, and possibly with fees waived to help assist with the increasing costs that we’re all experiencing. I for one think Mr. Laking is incredibly on point with his criticisms, and I hope that he will continue to hammer these points with his council members.
Up 33 Down 4
covidbc on Jun 3, 2022 at 5:04 pm
A city can not densify its' way to affordability.