The following is a copy of the email from the City of Vancouver Chief Building Official to Certified Professionals.
Like you, City staff are paying close attention to the changing circumstances around the COVID-19 outbreak and we are adapting our processes to respond to the evolving situation. We are committed to helping you continue to do your work, which is so important to our city and the economy, and life safety remains our top priority.
We are working hard to get all our staff equipped for remote work, and most of the team in the Building Review Branch who work on CP projects are currently working from home but reachable at their usual email addresses and phone numbers. Please stay in touch with them directly about your current projects and they will respond as soon as they’re able.
We have made some changes to our processes in order to minimize in-person interactions:
- Permit applications can still be made online via POSSE as always.
- We’re encouraging digital submissions where at all possible, so your assigned staff member will be asking you to upload as much as you can to POSSE. When you need to submit hard copy documents or drawings, please connect with your assigned staff member first – they will provide you with an email authorization that you’ll need to present when you arrive at the Services Centre to drop off the package.
- We aren’t accepting any in-person meetings for the time being. For application intakes or other project meetings we can help by setting up a WebEx meeting and sharing computer screens, etc.
- We are working with other City teams, who are similarly moving quickly to change how they do things, to make sure we’re still able to share drawings, clear review groups, etc. Processes are changing on the fly and we haven’t landed most of them yet, but we will do our best to help you connect with the people you need to.
- Enquiries in the Services Centre are by appointment only, and email or phone enquiries are highly preferred. Contact 604-873-7611 or csg.enquirycentre@vancouver.ca to discuss Zoning & Development enquiries.
- The Services Centre remains open for permit pick-ups and for fee payments, although we encourage folks to pay fees online wherever possible.
Please visit https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/covid-19-coronavirus-within-vancouver.aspx#facilities for the most up-to-date information on all City facilities and services.
The provincial government has provided a site with guidance for construction sites operating during COVID-19. Please share it with your clients and contacts.
If you’ve got any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact your assigned staff member directly or Hollie at cp.process@vancouver.ca.
We’re committed to working with you to keep your projects moving as quickly as possible, and look forward to the time when we can meet in person again.
All the best to you, your teams, and your families.
Chief Building Official and the Building Review Branch
City of Vancouver