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CVRD releases handy guide to help residents navigate development permitting process

A user-friendly guide is now available for would-be developers to help them navigate the intricacies of the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s development application process.
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A new development handbook will help residents navigate the development permitting process, the CVRD says. (File photo)

A user-friendly guide is now available for would-be developers to help them navigate the intricacies of the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s development application process.

The “highly visual” handbook is designed to explain tricky topics related to community planning and land use services in a simpler way and will define the differences between development types and permit applications, as well as instruct how to complete the appropriate applications and will outline their approval processes.

It’s something ordinary citizens can often find a headache to try to understand.

“We understand the confusion and frustration that residents can encounter when they begin the complex permitting process, and believe this development handbook can help alleviate those feelings at the outset,” said Ross Blackwell, the CVRD’s Land Use Services manager.

“It’s essentially a one-stop guide that provides the public with all the information they need to prepare a complete application.”

The guide will also feature a glossary of commonly used development terms and a list of qualified professionals that can help with drafting supporting documents, which are necessary but often left out of applications. There’s also checklists and fee structures and timelines and more.

The 50-page CVRD Development Handbook can be picked up at the front counter at the CVRD headquarters on Ingram Street or found online at https://www.cvrd.bc.ca/DocumentCenter/View/91078/Development-Handbook-