Velocity Enhanced Development Approvals

Velocity is an enhanced development approvals program designed to help progress development projects that support strategically significant community priorities, such as affordable and transit-oriented housing, vibrant neighbourhoods, business investment, and local job-creating commercial and industrial development. Use this page to learn about program benefits and criteria for the kinds of developments that are eligible to participate.

Velocity provides a dedicated senior City contact and a cross-departmental Integrated Approvals Team to help applicants in the program navigate complex development approvals, including rezoning, development permits, subdivisions, and variances. It provides strategic oversight and enhanced City coordination to help clarify requirements, identify potential issues earlier, streamline review processes, reduce delays, and keep applications moving. It is an example of Maple Ridge taking a bold and innovative approach to reducing red tape and ensuring that new developments that advance the City’s priority objectives are meeting the needs of our fast-growing community.

Navigating complex, multi-step approvals for rezoning, subdivisions, variances, and development permit applications can be time-consuming and unpredictable. Velocity participants are assigned a dedicated City contact and integrated approvals team to support this process. Through proactive service, internal coordination, and early issue resolution, the program helps reduce unnecessary delays and streamline the development experience.

While participating projects will benefit from enhanced support, developers will be expected to adhere to the City’s regulatory requirements and technical, environmental, and safety standards. The program does not replace required project reviews, remove oversight from City Council, or guarantee that a project will be approved.

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Developers aren't required to apply separately for Velocity.

Development applications are screened for eligibility during the regular intake process for planning applications. Projects are considered based on their strategic significance, complexity and coordination requirements, value-add opportunities, applicant readiness, and available capacity. The City will contact applicants when their projects may be a fit.

Participation is determined based on the overall characteristics and strategic significance of the project, its complexity and coordination requirements, the opportunity for Velocity to add value, applicant readiness to participate in the Velocity model, and available City capacity to provide the level of oversight and coordination required by the project.

Where the City and applicant agree to proceed:

1. The City and applicant sign a Velocity Program Charter
2. An Integrated Approvals Team is established across relevant City departments
3. A project-specific Approvals Strategy is developed to establish key considerations, responsibilities, decision points, and sequencing
4. The File Manager continues to coordinate the development application process and remains an important point of contact for the applicant
5. The Development Concierge supports this process by providing ongoing strategic oversight and cross-departmental facilitation

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Velocity is not simply an enhanced City service. Participation requires an active commitment from both the City and the applicant to work collaboratively, transparently and with appropriate decision-making authority.

The City commits to providing an enhanced level of coordination, maintaining clear communication, bringing the appropriate people together to address significant issues, and supporting timely and well-informed decision-making.

In return, applicants participating in Velocity are expected to be active partners in the process. This includes providing complete and timely information, communicating openly about project changes and constraints, participating constructively in issue resolution, respecting established roles and protocols, and ensuring appropriate representatives are available to make decisions when required.

Before entering Velocity, the City and applicant sign a Velocity Program Charter establishing mutual expectations for:

• Collaboration and respectful communication
• Transparency about project considerations, constraints and changes
• Timely and complete information
• Accountability for agreed actions and commitments
• Active participation in issue resolution; and
• Appropriate representation and decision-making authority at key project meetings

Continued participation in Velocity depends on both the City and applicant maintaining these commitments. Where the commitments established through the Charter are not being maintained, the City may reconsider a project’s continued participation in the program.

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Providing strategic oversight across City departments and at the appropriate management and decision-making levels, the Development Concierge:

• Establishes and maintains the project's Approvals Strategy
• Coordinates the Integrated Approvals Team
• Facilitates alignment across City departments and technical disciplines
• Identifies key issues and decision points requiring coordinated direction
• Tracks commitments, decisions and unresolved issues
• Brings together the appropriate staff and decision-makers when direction is required
• Facilitates escalation where issues cannot be resolved at the project-team level
• Provides a consistent point of strategic coordination

The Development Concierge does not replace the Development File Manager or the technical expertise and decision-making responsibilities of individual City departments. Rather, the Concierge provides the additional strategic oversight and cross-departmental coordination that distinguishes the Velocity approach. Applicants remain responsible for preparing their own reports, technical drawings, and all formal submission materials.

• Strategic Approvals Coordination: A project-specific approach to coordinating complex approvals, sequencing and key decision points.
• Integrated Cross-Departmental Review: Coordinated involvement from the City departments and technical disciplines relevant to the project.
• Project Direction: Early identification and coordination of important project considerations, constraints and opportunities.
• Structured Issue Resolution and Escalation: A clear process for bringing complex or cross-departmental matters to the appropriate level for direction and resolution.
• Greater Predictability and Accountability: A shared understanding of expectations, responsibilities, commitments, key decisions and project milestones.

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Velocity is intended for projects that advance Maple Ridge’s strategic growth priorities, and where complexity and coordination requirements warrant an enhanced approach. Project type alone does not determine participation. 

Eligible projects may contribute to the following community outcomes:

The Velocity Program prioritizes development projects that help address critical gaps in Maple Ridge’s evolving urban landscape. Using a criteria-based selection process, current and anticipated development activity are considered to ensure that selected projects align with broader growth patterns and respond to community needs. Eligible project types typically include:

New development projects are evaluated for eligibility for the Velocity program during the application process using criteria that include:

Eligibility thresholds* to be considered for the Velocity program are as follows :

Project Type	Minimum Requirements
High Density Residential	100+ units; 124+ units/hectare (50+ units/acre); $25M+ value; located in priority growth areas.
Affordable Housing	10+ affordable units; 30% below market; $10M+ value.
Mixed-Use	50+ residential units; 1,858+ m2 (20,000 sq. ft.) of commercial floor area; $15M+ value.
Commercial	650+ m2 (7,000 sq. ft.) of floor area; $2.5M+ investment; 30+ ongoing jobs.
Industrial	2+ hectares (5+ acres) or equivalent area; $10M+ investment; 50+ construction jobs; 20+ ongoing jobs.

*Projects that are slightly below these thresholds may be included if the project is deemed strategic and there is capacity within the program at that time

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There is no separate application for Velocity. Potential projects are identified for consideration through the City’s regular development application process.

For questions about the Velocity Program or to better understand how it works, contact:

VelocityDevApprovals@MapleRidge.ca

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