The City’s environmental initiatives are intended to protect and increase the health, diversity, and resiliency of the environment.
Environmental Planning staff are responsible for managing the Official Community Plan environmental policy, environmental development permit guidelines, environmental bylaw amendments, and strategic environmental management plans for the City.
Environmental Planning services develop and implement programs and policies to preserve and protect the community's rich natural environment. Services include:
- Enhancement and restoration
- Environmental assessments and inventory mapping
- Environmental bylaw enforcement
- Environmental permit review for trees, soils, erosion control, hillsides and watercourse management
- Environmental policy and protocol development
- Environmental review to support development applications
- Hazard management
- Natural area preservation
- Public education and outreach
- Rainwater and stormwater management
- Environmental Policy Planning
Environmental & Community Engagement
Staff are involved with community engagement initiatives related to the natural environment. They are responsible for liaison work with other environmental senior agencies including federal, provincial, and regional governments. They also provide guidance opportunities for collaboration, and technical assistance to the general public, municipal advisory groups, the development community, stewardship groups, educational institutions, and other local governments.
Environment Development Planning & Permit Review
Environmental Planning is also responsible for the issuance of permits, front counter inquiries, and compliance and enforcement issues. In addition, staff process and administer environmental development permit files and are involved with:
- land use inquiries
- pre-development and development meetings
- variance applications for senior environmental agencies
- enhancement, restoration, and natural hazard initiatives
Staff support is provided to the Advisory Design Panel and the Board of Variance, and they assist other departments with environmental-related duties and provide supplemental support in the area of urban trees.