Building Penticton

This is your chance to catch up on updates and changes to Building Department practices and processes. Please feel free to continue the discussion with us at buildinginfo@penticton.ca or 250-490-2571.

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Digital Permit Drawings

The digital permit reviews project is underway and has been well received.  We have been releasing the issued permit drawings as PDF's and asking the owner/agent to print a copy for onsite construction.  The site copy should be scaled and printed in colour.

Staff have been tracking a high percentage of inspection failures and site deficiencies caused by builders & trades not referring the approved permit drawings. The permit drawing and permit condition letter should be used as one of the main construction reference documents, which will help site communication and reduce costly repairs or delays. Not having the approved permit set on site for inspections will result in a failed inspection.

Zoning Bylaw Updates

Zoning Bylaw changes to incorporate recommendations from the City's Community Climate Action Plan, along with other minor changes were presented to Council on March 21, 2023. Topics included changes to the carriage house regulations, new requirements for EV and bicycle parking and other minor amendments

See Shape Your City for further information about the public engagement process.

EV-Ready Info Session

The City of Penticton will be hosting a virtual "EV-Ready Workshop" for new developments.

This is related to EV-Ready Requirements for new developments which were introduced as part of the Zoning Bylaw update.  Brief presentations will be followed by a Q&A session so participants can ask both technical and practical questions related to the new requirements.

Who Should Attend?
Persons involved in the local building community - builders, developers, contractors, tradespeople

WHEN: April 5 Morning and Evening Session
TIMES: 8 am - 9 am or 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm

This session, hosted by the City of Penticton and facilitated by the Community Energy Association, will be recorded and made available for viewing after the event.

Please note, two session times are available to accommodate participant schedules, but content will be the same for both.  There is no pre-registration, please use the links below to attend.

Zoom Link:  Morning Session

Zoom Link:  Afternoon Session

Photo by Precious Madubuike on Unsplash

Carriage Houses and Fire Department Access 

Thanks again to those who attend the Suite and Carriage House workshop earlier this month. 

One item we are currently evaluating is the placement of carriage homes on deep urban and rural lots.  This is creating a conflict with BC Code requirements for Fire Department access (45 m from truck to dwellings principal entrance). 

Staff are reviewing proposals similar to the City of Toronto's bulletin.

Please note we are hoping to get a few more industry stake holders to join the Secondary Suite advisory committee, particularly designers and trades persons. Please contact Ken Kunka directly at ken.kunka@penticton.ca 

Solar Panel Permits

We are updating our bulletins and applications for Solar Panal Permits to reflect current policy regarding structural engineer reviews and other housekeeping items. 

For small scale residential systems that have flush mounted systems, similar to what is shown in the picture, structural verification by an engineer is not required.  There may be exceptions to the above, so please reach out if you have questions.