Richmond News
Colin Shen, the owner of an up-and-coming business, Yudi Patisserie, has been waiting for almost seven months to get a building permit to start renovations.
Since he submitted his application in March, Shen has spent almost $28,000 on rent and insurance for a vacant shop.
“It’s just been taking too long. And many times… we send email(s), we call the city hall, we call Vancouver Coastal Health and we rarely get any response,” said Shen. …
Mayor Malcolm Brodie, who is also seeking re-election, said the city is always working to “revise and upgrade” the business licence and permit application system to make it more “responsive,” and such electronic tools are part of its efforts.
“In general, the city does a pretty good job,” said Brodie, explaining that, while he has heard of a couple of incidents like Shen’s, it’s not always a clear-cut and simple issue. …