The Town of Yarmouth’s Priority Review Stream for New Housing is designed to support the timely delivery of new housing by providing coordinated, front-of-line review for eligible residential development applications.
Building Housing Faster—Together
The Town of Yarmouth’s Priority Review Stream for New Housing is designed to support the timely delivery of new housing by providing coordinated, front-of-line review for eligible residential development applications.
This program focuses on improving collaboration across Town departments, identifying issues early, and providing clearer expectations for applicants—helping housing projects move more efficiently from concept to construction. The program reflects best practices used by other Canadian municipalities, adapted to Yarmouth’s scale and capacity.
What is the Priority Review Stream for New Housing?
The Priority Review Stream for New Housing is a planning and development review process that brings together Planning, Engineering, Building, and Fire Services to coordinate the review of new housing projects that align with Council priorities.
The program aims to prioritize and coordinate application reviews, helping reduce delays associated with sequential reviews and late-stage revisions.
Important: Priority status does not waive regulatory, engineering, fire safety, or building code requirements, nor does it guarantee approval.
Coordinated review
Applications are reviewed collaboratively across relevant Town departments to improve consistency and reduce avoidable delays.
Early issue identification
Key considerations—such as zoning compliance, servicing capacity, fire access, and high-level building code implications—are identified early in the process.
Important: While the Town will endeavour to highlight key building code issues as early as possible, final review of compliance with applicable building code requirements is the responsibility of owners and occurs at building permit issuance and associated inspections.
Priority scheduling
Priority Review projects may be:
- Advancement in internal review queues
- Circulated earlier for interdepartmental review
Important: Application fast-tracking is subject to staff capacity and application readiness.
Eligible Projects
Unless otherwise identified by staff, residential and mixed-use projects with a residential component are eligible for the Priority Review Stream, including but not limited to all new:
- Affordable or below-market housing
- Multi-unit residential buildings and missing-middle housing (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses)
- Residential projects available through the Housing Design Catalogue at: https://www.townofyarmouth.ca/housing-design-catalogue-town-of-yarmouth-guide.html
- Supportive housing; and
- Other residential projects supporting and/or implementing the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) initiatives
Projects may involve one or more approval pathways, including:
- Combined Development Permit / Building Permit
- Site Plan Approval
- Subdivision approval
- Land use by-law or policy amendments
Eligibility Requirements
Step 1: Contact Town Staff
Applicants are encouraged to contact Town staff early. Staff will assess:
- General alignment with applicable bylaws, requirements and regulations.
- Project readiness, completeness and anticipated approval pathway.
Step 2: Submit a complete application
A complete combined Development / Building Permit application typically includes:
1. A Project Description (written):
- Number and type of proposed residential units
- Property location and ownership status
- Anticipated approval pathway (e.g., DP, SPA, DA, BP)
- Target construction timeline
2. Applicable Fees (unless waived by Council)
3. Assignment of Agent (as applicable)
4. Drawings
- Dimensioned and legible
- Drawings prepared by qualified professionals are preferred
5. Engineering Documents (where applicable)
- Rainwater Management Plan
- Site and Development Servicing Plan
6. Building Permit Documentation
- Required Form Letters from involved Professionals (where applicable).
Step 3: Confirmation
Applicants will receive written confirmation indicating whether the project:
- Has been accepted into the Priority Review Stream for New Housing, or
- Will proceed through the standard review process.
Important: Final acceptance into the Priority Review Stream is at the Town’s discretion, based on capacity, project readiness (i.e., application completeness, quality of submitted drawings).
Applicant Responsibilities
Priority Review applicants are expected to:
- Submit complete and accurate applications
- Respond promptly to staff requests
- Coordinate consultants effectively (where applicable)
- Communicate material changes early
What The Priority Review Stream Is - And Is Not
The Priority Review Stream IS:
- A tool to improve coordination and predictability
- A way to reduce avoidable delays
- A commitment to proactive staff support
The Priority Review Stream IS NOT:
- A guarantee of approval
- A waiver of bylaws, codes, or standards
- A substitute for complete and accurate submissions
Relationship To Other Approvals
Priority Review status does not override:
- The Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law
- Engineering and general site and development servicing requirements
- The Building Code fire safety requirements
- Public notification or Council decision-making processes, where applicable
Interested in the Priority Review Stream for New Housing?
We encourage early discussion to determine eligibility and project readiness. Please contact us at: planningadmin@townofyarmouth.ca or (902) 742-1505.