Record year for city's development applications
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The city received a record number of development applications this year, and there's no indication that high will drop any time soon, staff say.
Planning director Steve Robichaud said, as of November, the city had received 1,212 applications.
Another 50 are expected before the end of 2017.
"It's been a very busy year on the development side," he told a planning committee meeting Tuesday.
"I don't see that trend slowing down any time soon," Jason Thorne, Hamilton's planning and economic development manager, added later in the meeting.
In the last five years, the average has been 1,080, Robichaud said after the meeting.
These development applications could include minor variances, zoning bylaw and official plan amendments, plan of subdivision and heritage permits, he added.
"Hamilton is back — big time," Robichaud said.
He said the increase is not concentrated in one single type of activity or location in the city.
There are investments in the rural economy such as farmers expanding greenhouse operations, new subdivisions and business parks in suburban areas, and a large number of cranes and restaurant openings downtown, he said.
"It's a really strong, diversified economy in Hamilton and it means that all eight cylinders are firing, which is a good thing," he said.
It also means there's a lot of pressure being put on the city's planning division.
Heading into the summer, they were down about 13 staff, said Robichaud, noting most of those vacancies have since been filled.
Coun. Donna Skelly commended the department but noted she still hears from people frustrated with the "lack of progress."
She said she believes more permits could have been issued in the past year had they not been as short-staffed and questioned whether the recent hires will be able to address that problem.
"We're still carrying a significant workload," said Robichaud. "I'm starting to think we might be a little bit too small."
Currently, city planners have 35 files or more, he said, noting between 20 and 25 would be a "reasonable number."
Coun. Matthew Green said he supports "matching the supply of staffing with the demand."