Development cost charges could be reduced
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Updated: November 17, 2009 3:30 PM
Maple Ridge council is considering a staff proposal to reduce development cost charges by between six and 10 per cent to reflect lower construction costs.
Developers or builders pay the charges whenever they build houses or buildings to cover the costs to the district of parks, water, roads, sidewalks and sewers.
Examples of the proposed reductions:
• nine-per-cent reduction for single family home construction in a new suburb, for a total of $18,761 for each house;
• six-per-cent reduction for single family home in an in-fill (built-up) area, for a total of $16,399 in DCCs for each house.
The DCCs charged in Maple Ridge are about in the middle compared to other cities in the Lower Mainland.
Abbotsford’s DCCs are the highest – at $30,242 for each single family house.
Pitt Meadows’s DCCs though are third lowest – charging only $9,601 for the same house.
Maple Ridge, in 200,8 raised its development charges, the first time since 1996.
But the intent now is to do annual reviews.
A staff report says if the district didn’t charge developers, taxes would rise in order to pay for the new roads, parks and utilities
