Development Permits

This area includes all commercial land uses within city limits. This is to encourage the establishment of new business and retention of existing businesses and local shopping opportunities. The objectives of this designation are to:

• Ensure that all new commercial developments meet a high standard of visual quality and a high construction quality
• Improve the appearance of commercial properties in Dawson Creek
• Provide safe and efficient access

This area is on 102nd Avenue between 17th Street and 6th Street. It is the core of Dawson Creek and the hub of the community. Many events occur in the downtown core and the City is working hard to refresh and revitalize the downtown. The objectives of this designation are to:

• Contribute to the downtown’s unique identity and sense of place
• Create a vibrant, compact, walkable, accessible downtown with high quality design and construction
• Ensure that developments are compatible in scale, form and character with the existing community and consistent with the desired future direction of downtown
• Ensure that, where necessary, the design of development creates a suitable transition between adjacent different land uses or residential densities

The following activities do not need a development permit:

• Subdivision of land creating three or fewer additional lots
• Interior renovations or alterations with no changes to the exterior appearance or design
• Maintenance and repair of buildings and structures
• Alteration of a building that is limited to the addition, replacement, or alteration of doors, windows, and mechanical systems such as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Condition (HVAC) units
• Alteration, addition, or construction of buildings or structures to improve the accessibility for people with physical or cognitive disabilities
• Change in plant species or number which does not result in a loss of landscaped area
• Development where the intended use is limited to institutional, utility, infrastructure, and/or civic uses

Within the Natural Hazards Development Permit Area the following activities do not need a development permit:

• Emergency actions to prevent, control, or reduce flooding, erosion, or other immediate threats to life or property
• Removal of a hazardous tree, as determined by a certified arbourist, that presents a danger to the safety of person or is likely to damage public or private property
• Removal of invasive, non-native vegetation provided it is replaced with native vegetation

Intensive residential developments can have significant positive impacts. Particularly in the downtown of a community, where they are able to bring a new vitality to an area by the presence of residents at any time of day. Applying design guidelines on intensive residential developments enables an area to be:

• Enhanced visually and with respect to transportation and mobility options
• The creation of unique residential development options
• Passive and active recreational opportunities
• The ability to live, work and recreate within the centre of a community.

All of these factors help increase the quality of life for residents. The objectives of this development permit area are to:

• Provide for opportunities to create innovative housing options for residents wishing to live in downtown Dawson Creek
• Ensure that intensive residential developments are attractive and compatible with the surrounding area through siting, design and exterior finishing
• Create a vibrant, compact, walkable, accessible downtown with high quality design and construction
• Emphasize building and open space designs in a manner that enhances pedestrian mobility, accessibility, amenities and safety
• Ensure that, where necessary, the design of development creates a suitable transition between adjacent different land uses or residential densities

Multi-family residential developments can have significant positive impacts on the surrounding area, including aesthetics, traffic generation and creating neighbourhoods. Applying design guidelines can enhance an area with respect to aesthetics, crime prevention, transportation and mobility, passive and active recreational opportunities and thereby result in a higher quality of life for residents in multi-family residential developments. The objectives of this development permit area are to:

• Emphasize building and open space designs in a manner that enhances pedestrian mobility, accessibility, amenities and safety
• Ensure that multi-family developments are attractive and compatible with the surrounding area through siting, design and exterior finishing
• Ensure that, where necessary, the design of development creates a suitable transition between adjacent different land uses or residential densities