2023 Courtenay Annual Report

Development Activity

Land Use Applications The volume of land use applications has remained steady over the past five years, with a peak in 2021 and then a slow decrease from 2022 to 2023 which may be an impact of higher interest rates. With the adoption of the Official Community Plan (OCP) in July 2022 the number of OCP amendments has decreased. Also, with the inclusion of secondary suites in low-density residential zones, there has been a decrease in rezoning applications.

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Development permits (including variances)

29

31

38

36

34

Rezoning applications

15

15

9 4 7

9 2 3

6 0 5

Combined OCP and rezoning applications

2 4

3 5

Sidewalk patio permits

Sign permits

43 17

42 15

42 19

52 22

33 21

Tree cutting permits

Building permit applications

308

283

335

216

238

Construction Activity Courtenay’s 2016-2021population growth, at 10.8% per Census data, was higher than Vancouver Island (8.2%), BC (7.6%), and Canada (5.2%). This trend is anticipated to continue, in particular with the recent Bill 44 density changes prescribed for the City. Toward the end of that Census interval and into the current one, residential unit construction completions were near or above 400 units each year from 2019-2022. This activity added about 3% to the City’s housing stock each year.

In 2023 there were fewer (180) residential unit completions but building permits were issued for 738 residential units, which is considerably higher then the previous years. Depending on the size of the residential development, construction activity can span over two or three years . Residential units constructed will be captured in the year that it is completed.

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Subdivision lots approved

213

83

95

18

72

Total residential units issued

387

343

336

143

738

Building inspections completed

3,971

3,537

4,635

3,610

2,372

Residential units constructed

410

399

443

438

180

City of Courtenay | 2023 Annual Report

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