Faced with ever increasing costs of infrastructure maintenance, renewal, and replacement, Mississippi Mills council increased their development charges (DC) earlier this month.
The municipality is facing growth pressures similar to others that surround Ottawa.
One of the big changes staff were recommending, was to end the DC exemption for industrial applications.
This would see the rates jump from their current $6.93 per sq/ft to $29.83; a number that councilor Denzil Ferguson found quite high.
DCs for urban residential permits would move from $24,000 to $45,000, but would actually drop a small amount for new rural homes.
Affordable housing’s exemption from DCs remain.
CAO Ken Kelly noted the move to increase these fees was nothing new in the region.
Local builders had requested any increases be phased in with a 3 month transition period, but new provincial rules allowing developers to defer those payments until new builds are ready for occupancy made that unnecessary according to the staff report.
Story by Brian Turner