As part of its annual budgeting process, the City of Vancouver is recommending a series of fee increases, including several impacting the architecture, design and construction sector. The recommendation is for an across the board two per cent inflationary increase.

Areas in which fee increases are being considered include:

• re-zoning;
• development applications;
• base/flat fee building permit applications’;
• trade permits;
• sign permits;
• tree removal/replacement permits;
• subdivision applications;
• secondary suite inspections; and
• other miscellaneous fees such as for property addressing, file research and board of variance.

If approved, it is expected that the effective date for these increases will be Jan. 1, 2013.