Property & Development

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Are you a Bowen Island property owner, prospective buyer, or developer?  What are the steps to maintain and develop property here?

Property Basics

As a property owner you are responsible for paying annual property taxes, which help to fund services like road maintenance and garbage collection.  You are also responsible for maintaining your driveway culverts and ensuring drainage from your property does not negatively impact neighbours.

The Development Process

Development may include subdivision, site preparation, building, or even tree removal.  If you want to develop your property, check the following flowchart to make sure you consider all the main steps of the process. Also, consider incorporating Active Design in your proposal whenever possible!

Additional Considerations

  • If your property is considered a heritage site, your development may need to follow certain guidelines and the proposal may be referred to the Heritage Commission.
  • Property information that may be helpful in the planning of your development proposal, such as zoning, may be found on the interactive online map, BowMap.
  • Zoning regulates land uses and what you can build (size, height, setbacks, etc).  Zoning regulations are found in the Land Use Bylaw
  • Consider incorporating Active Design in your project whenever possible.  Active Design encourages active living, which contributes to the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the island.
  • If your development is on or near the shoreline, consider a Green Shores approach for long-term sustainability and to minimize environmental impacts.

Last Updated on 2021-07-12 at 11:02 AM