Beaumont sees continued increase in new development

BEAUMONT -- The City of Beaumont reflected on its now six-year-old land use bylaw at this week's Committee of the Whole.

Since the bylaw's implementation in 2019, a variety of positive impacts have been felt economically as new development in the municipality has steadily risen year-over-year. According to a staff report, building permit applications have increased each year since 2020, with the latest figures showing 1,096 submitted in 2024.

City Planner Sara Boulos presented the report this week, and highlighted a number of areas that have seen growth since Beaumont's land use bylaw was put into effect.

"In this time, there has been a measurable increase in the number of applications," said Boulos. "Starting from 2020 to 2024, there has been a 38 per cent increase in permit applications."

When compared to the year prior, 2024 saw a 30 per cent increase in new applications. More notably, the City also saw a 43 per cent increase in construction value from 2023 to last year. This represented an increase of more than $64,000,000. Sara Boulos also noted during the presentation that there was a 250 per cent increase in subdivision applications in 2024 when compared to the year prior.

"The land use bylaw has been able to accommodate and respond to our rapidly growing community," said Boulos. "That provides for diversity in housing forms as well as non-residential opportunities such as commercial development and multi-family sites."

Despite its successes, Beaumont administration is recommending a few amendments to be considered for the land use bylaw. These will be discussed at a future date.