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2Te Canadian Champion, Tuesday, May 11, 2004 Halton could soon have hi*ghest DCs in Ontario Plenty of opposition to proposed development charges hike BýyJffNMISNER 'nie development and business communities came to a public meeting Wednesday aftemnoon carrymng a stem but co-operative message - proposcd hikes to Halton Rcgion's developmcnt charges (DCs) are way too higb and Uicy want to continue to work on a compromise. Close to a dozen delegates took about Urec bours to tel] mcm- bers of Halton's administration and finance commiùttee Uiat pro- posed increases to Uic fivc-ycar-old devclopment charge bylaw are too higb for Uieir liking. Some questioned Uic mcUiodology used to corne up wiUi rates, but all of Uic speakers said Uiey wanted to work wiUi regional staff to fmnd a happy medium. Neil Rodgers, president of Urban Development Institute, 'lt is shocking to us to see Peel, York and ......................................... Ontario, said the proposed DCs are "substantial and of significant concem to thc development industry. We want to ensuit to you that we are quite prepared to work in an open and transparent Ask about our Total Drive-Away That's right a.m. Financing or Leasing - Yo ulgve us l ý IL drive away in your new Toyota Car Truck or SUV. This price even includes your license transter tee! 400 Steeles Avenue 905 875-1700 AGS www.milton.toyota.ca - -- -- --- ----- - - - :.. . . process" to cornte to a "mutually satisfactory resolution." DCa arc costs residential and industrial developers pay a local and regional municipality for î2rowth-related Projects Jlike roads, Recovcring some of that money is crucial to minimiziflg the impact of capital investmnent on taxpayers. Halton is proposmng to, raise DCs on both residential and non-res- idential construction for roads as well as for general services that include police, ambulance and services for seniors. On the residential side, thc hike would go up from Uthe current rate of $2,373 per unit bujit to $7,888, a 232 per cent increase. On Uic non-residential aide, which includes industrial and com- mercial development, Uic current rate would go up from $1 .63 per square foot to, $5.55 a square foot, a jump of 241 per cent. The Region has projected Uiat Uiere are more than $939 million worth of road projects budgeted between 2004 and 2021. 0f Uiat, $7 17.2 million is recoverable front DCs. A portion of Uic remainder - $148.5 million - would corne from taxpayers and oUier sources, like reserves. As for capital projects related to gencral services, includmng Uic construction of two new long-term care facilities and costa for police and ambulance vehicles, more Uian $83 million has been budgeted to be spent bctwcen 2004 and 2014. 0f Uiat, $26 million is recoverable front DCs. The rest - $57 million in total - would corne from property taxes and oUier sources. 'he population, more than 400,000, is expected to cxcced 583,000 by 2021. 'lt's not because of growUi Uicy have to pay for this," said Mark Scinocca, manager of budgets and dcvclopmcnt fmnancing, ina later interview. "In absence of growth, we would bave to provide those kissds of services to Uiem (residents) anyway." Mr. Scinocca said in a presentation at Uic committee meeting that Uic rates have gone up Uic most on Uic roads portion of Uic DCs, accounting for Uic bulk of Uic increase. 'Me reason is costa for roads construction bave soarcd since Uic DCs bylaw took cffect in 1999, as well Uic Region bas taken on responsibility for extra roads uploaded from lowcr-ticr municipal- ities duc to roads rationalization last ycar and impacts from Uic Sherwood Survey, a proposed massive residential devclopment on Milton's west aide. "Mbe proccas is still evolving," Mr. Scmnocca said. "We'vc been Uirougb a number of mectings. Wc undcrstand Uic impact tiis is having. We know Uicre is some anxicty out Uicrc." Also, Uic 25 per cent discount for non-retail dcvelopment is to be phascd out by 2008. Commenta on Uic proposed bikes can still be submittcd to Uic Region by May 20. A recommendation is schedulcd to go before Uic administration and finance committec lune 16 and Uicn to regional council lune 23 for ratification. There will be an appeal pcriod before Uic new DCa bylaw is to take cffect August 3 1. Delegates werc careful not to sound too alarmiat, but cautioned committcc members; Uiat Uicse proposed increases risk bindering dcvelopmcntin Halton and would put Uic region in a competitive disadvantagc compared to ncarby juriadictions. Thc sticky issue is Uic huge increase pmoposed on road costa on DCa. Concern over potential increase Doug Francis, president ofthUi Milton Chamber of Commerce, which bas 630 members, told Uic committec Uiat Uic rates, if passed, would leave Halton wiUi Uic highest DCs in Ontario. Wbile no business wants to "sbirk" Uieir fmnancial responsibilities, hie said hc's worricd about Uic negative impact it would bave on Uiose Uiinking about setting up shop in Halton. Mr. Francis encouraged Uiat dialogue continue wiUi regional staff regardng Uic proposed DCs. "It is sbocking to us to sec Peel, York and Durhamn regions charge lest than ossc-Uiird of wbat Halton is trying 10 charge for roads," bce said. "The last tlsing we want is to flnd ourselves inUic samne position as Toronto, wbere buinesses bave fled to other sur- rounding communities because Uiey couldn't afford to stay Uiere." Burlington Mayor Rob MacIsaac noted to Uic committec Uiose buinesses in Toronto Uiat are leaving are doing 5 because prop- erty taxes are too high, not because of DCs. John Alati, reprcsenting Uic NorUi Halton Industrial Landowners Group - encompassing eight or nine industrica and a total of 1,000 acres - told Uic committee Uicre's "a lack of continuity" wiUi lowcr-tier municipalities while addressmng DC changes. Meanwhilc, Uic Towns of Milton is proposing to hike DC rates for residential from $6.509 to $8.067 per unit town-widc and $8, 107 for units to be built inthe proposed Sherwood Survey area west of town. That represents roughly a 24 per cent increase. Industrial rates would risc from $2.31 a square foot to $3.04 a square foot town-wide, and $3.16 in Sherwood. That represents roughly a 37 per cent increase. Town counicil is expected 10 pass a ncw DC bylaw June 7. Jason Misner can be reached atjmisner@mltoncanadancham- -a ~WV>X«jp~Ç'WfK.Ç4j - & - »".Icnm: ý ý ý ý