The Land Development Process

Land development is a very broad term that generally refers to changing the use or any structures located on a parcel of land. So whether you want to subdivide, construct a building, convert an old house into suites or add a new bedroom to your house you will need to understand some or all of the land development process in your area. The process varies from town to town and province to province but many aspects are common no matter where you are. Some of the first items that you need to consider are:

• Is the land zoned for the land use you are considering?


• Is the land in a Provincial Land Reserve (Agricultural or Forest)?


• Is there a suitable building site for the intended land use?


• Are there physical or legal constraints that will stop you from achieving your goal, such as:




Easements? Covenants? Rights of Way? Building Schemes? Protected Trees?
Geotechnical hazards? Archeological sites?

• Are there any environmental concerns about the site?


• Are there sufficient utilities in place to service your development such as:




Sewage Disposal? Potable Water? Storm Drainage? Hydro?
Telephone, Cable or Internet?

• Is there public road access and can you access the site safely?


• What agencies do I require approvals from?


• Do I require any permits before I start work?


• How long will all of this take?

Polaris Consulting Ltd. can provide you with the answers to these and more questions. For a general background or for those who want to do it yourself the following pages will provide you with the basic information that you might need to get started.

Is the land zoned for the land use you are considering?

The first step is to identify the community that you are developing in. Are you located within the boundaries of a municipality or in unorganized territory? There are many small communities within British Columbia that have names but are not actually incorporated municipalities. To determine if the subject property is within a municipality you can look at the Property Tax Notice or visit CivicInfoBC and search for the area name.

Once you have determined if the property is within the boundaries of a municipality or a regional district you can contact that agency and request information on the zoning of the property. If the zoning permits your intended use then you can proceed to the next step. If not, then you will need to decide whether to change your plans or proceed with a re-zoning application. If you choose to proceed with a re-zoning, then you can follow the re-zoning link to see the process involved in that operation.

Is the land in a Provincial Land Reserve (Agricultural or Forest)?

Lands that are well suited to agriculture or forestry have been identified and set aside in one of two land reserves - the Agricultural Land Reserve or the Forest Land Reserve. The basis for these reserves are land inventory maps prepared at a scale of 1:20,000. Recently a 'Legal Notation' has been added to the Certificate of Title for the parcels of land that are affected. These notations are not always 100% accurate so it is important to contact the Provincial Land Commission to determine if the subject parcel is within a reserve. More information on the Commission is available online.