Development Permit Area #6

Energy and Water Conservation and Reduction of Greenhouse Gases


As part of the Official Community Plan amendment adopted in November 2013, the District of Highlands included a new development permit area – Development Permit Area (DPA) #6 – for the entire District to promote energy and water conservation as well as the reduction of greenhouse gases. This DPA only considers exterior elements of a building such as building placement to achieve solar gain, appropriately chosen tree cutting that will accommodate both solar gain and shading effects, landscaping to conserve water, etc.

 In addition homeowner benefits, DPA #6 will help the community to reach the provincially mandated and locally determined greenhouse gas reduction targets of a 20% reduction in per capita GHG emissions or a 9% reduction in our overall emissions by 2020.

Development Permit Area #6 Brochure

Development permit area objectives:

• To guide development in a manner that conserves energy and water.
• To guide development in a manner that reduces greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions.

To support the community in these combined efforts, there is NO FEE for DPA #6.

When do I need a permit?

ALL of the District of Highlands falls under DPA #6. Specifically, a permit for DPA #6 is required when you are:
• Constructing a building or addition 50m2 or larger once completed
• Applying for another Development Permit
• Subdividing land

What do I have to do?

Please fill out and submit:
  1. If you are constructing or doing an addition that results in a building 50m2 or larger, please fill out this application form and this checklist sheet, which is ONLY for development permit area #6; OR
  2. If you are already doing work within one of the other development permit areas (such as Steep Slopes, Water and Riparian Areas, Sensitive Vegetation, Intensive Residential or Highlands Commercial Industrial Gateway Area) please fill out the regular development permit area application form and appropriate checklist sheet.
The checklist sheet shows all possible guidelines...It would be very unusual if any one project met all the guidelines. You only need to check off the guidelines that you are able to meet...meaning the guidelines that make the best sense for your project. As you fill out the checklist sheet, you also need to describe how you will meet the guidelines that apply to your development.

It is strongly recommended that you review the DPA #6 guidelines prior to developing your plans and before site preparation to ensure that your final approach meets the guidelines while providing you the most benefits and cost efficiencies.

Development Permit Area #6 Brochure

Resource Ideas for DP Area #6:

Videos:
Books, Toolkits, etc.:
Background documents: Sustainable Building Resource Links:

Financing Incentives

Incorporating sustainability into the design and build of your property will greatly benefit the comfort level of your home while reducing your energy spending. As long as the guidelines are considered upfront, the additional costs should be minimal to zero. In fact home of the guidelines could result in construction savings. The following programs help to support your new build and/or renovation efforts that take place in the interior or exterior of your home.