A milestone for our community and it’s recovery process, the first building permit for Waterways, one of the hardest hit areas has been issued.
Alex Mckenzie lived in Waterways for six years before the wildfire and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
“It was very important to me to rebuild in Waterways, it’s the only community I feel at home in, within the entire city. It is such a close knit tight community,” said Mckenzie.
On October 4th, council repealed a by-law that put in place building restrictions within the flood zone and flood fringe in Waterways and approved extending the overlay by-law amendment into all of Waterways, meaning there are no longer any overarching restrictions in place for homeowners looking to rebuild their homes in that community.
“Don’t be discouraged. Baby steps, you start at one spot and take it one step at a time, don’t look at as one giant project, it’s overwhelming looking at the entire process you have to go through,” said Mckenzie.
Mckenzie said his builder plans to have shovels in the ground on either Sunday or Monday.
“I have been pushing really hard this last month to get everything in, the permits and the developers and get everything going,” says Mckenzie. “For me to get to this point, it has been a huge relief, a huge jump for joy.”
As of October 13th there has been 154 building permits issued throughout the municipality.
All Waterways homeowners can now apply for development permits and expect them to be approved so long as they meet all the usual requirements.
You can learn more about the permitting process online at RMWB.ca/Planning or you can visit the Planning and Development Department to get help one-on-one with your application at 309 Powder Drive.
