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[Galvanized]

Builders balk at Langford fees
Municipal charges getting out of hand, developers claim


Bill Cleverley, Times Colonist
Published: Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The cost of doing business in Langford is getting too steep, say several developers who are looking for Langford city hall to back off.

"To put it bluntly, Langford is a very, very expensive place to develop in," Jim Hartshorne, president of the West Shore Development Association told the city's planning and zoning committee.

"That's because the development industry has worked extremely well with your council and your staff to apply benefits in the community that I don't think any other community in southern Vancouver Island has."

But the costs are adding up, he said, and developers want a chance to review some of them.

Les Bjola, of Turner Lane Development Corp., told Langford's planning and zoning committee this week that the amalgamation of all different costs that have evolved "from a whole bunch of really good ideas" has "created a huge problem."

Bjola said some projects on stream could go off the rails if some immediate fee relief isn't given.

Mayor Stew Young said he's aware of the concerns and he's prepared to back off the fees if a hardship is proven.

"When things are successful I've got to get the pound of flesh out of them; if things start to slow down then, yeah, we'll re-look at it. I'm not going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg out here," he said. He's not convinced that time has come.

"If we're the cause of killing economic activity and jobs in Langford I'll definitely be looking at it. I haven't seen it yet, but we're not totally oblivious to the economy," he said.

Langford requires developers to set aside 25 per cent of potential developments for greenspace -- five times the provincial requirement.

It also requires developers to provide an affordable house (a home that will be sold for $160,000) for every 10 lots created. Developers subdividing fewer than 10 lots pay $2,000 per lot toward the city park fund.

But developers bought into the requirements on the understanding their commitment was to one or the other, not both, several told the planning and zoning committee.

The affordable-housing requirement can take "almost 55 per cent of the developer's cash upfront that he's buying the land with," developer Cliff Curtis said. "That becomes a huge issue. That's why we're looking at either one or the other."

The committee agreed that council should review all development cost charges and other fees as part of its upcoming review of the municipality's Official Community Plan.

It is also recommending council allow for a graduated contribution for greenspace that would range from 25 per cent of land for parcels five acres or more to five per cent for a parcel of less than two acres, and that cash in lieu of greenspace contributions be calculated on the raw land prior to rezoning.

"This council has prided itself on evolving with the industry and we want to continue to maintain that," said Ron Coutre, of Phoenix Estates. He said Langford has had huge success with having developers build affordable houses as a part of subdivision, but those dollars could go further.

"You might want to give consideration to having not only single-family, fee-simple [absolute] ownership, but also fee-simple duplex and triplex ownership," he said.

mailto:bcleverley@tc.canwest.com
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2006

[Holden West]

From the Urban Development Institute:

UDI Victoria applauds the City of Langford for its new economic stimulus package which includes significant development-industry incentives.

We encourage UDI Victoria members to attend Langford's Economic Forum tomorrow morning, Saturday, January 16th, 2009 from 9am to Noon at the Westin Bear Mountain resort.

The first hour of the day is dedicated to informal conversation with staff and the West Shore Chamber of Commerce about economic opportunities in Langford, followed by speeches by Langford's leadership and closing with a presentation by Avi Freedman, a world-renowned expert on land development and award-winning architect.

[Holden West]

Langford cuts fees to encourage building
Mayor offers 10-year tax holiday on low-cost housing, office construction

By Bill Cleverley, Times ColonistJanuary 16, 2009 11:01 AM

After months of meeting with community leaders, builders, developers and senior municipal staff, Langford has developed an economic plan Young is expected to officially unveil at an economic forum the municipality is hosting at Bear Mountain resort tomorrow.

The package, which Young estimates could be worth more than $2.5 million, will include an immediate waiving of building permit fees for one year for all new residential construction, Young said.

"Langford will be one of the first municipalities in Canada that will waive its building permit fees.

"You will not see a building permit fee on residential or multi-family housing units," Young said.

Those fees can range between $2,000 and $10,000 a unit, Young said, and could translate into a revenue loss to the municipality of $600,000 to $800,000.

The municipality will still collect development cost charges which pay for the likes of utilities, sidewalks and greenspace.

[VicHockeyFan]

http://www.timescolo...ntown-1.1743185

 

 

Langford is rolling out an aggressive policy to encourage economic activity in its core, in the face of slowing growth.

 

Council has approved amenity fee reductions for developers building downtown, the first in a series of fee cuts aimed at densifying downtown that Mayor Stew Young announced in his inauguration speech.

 

Young also promised similar reductions relating to rezoning fees, development permits and building permits, as well as a 10-year tax holiday for affordable housing, seniors’ housing and provincial and federal government buildings.

 

“When everyone’s making money, they don’t mind paying a bit more. When they aren’t, governments have to recognize that,” Young said.

 

Langford remains the fastest-growing municipality in the capital region, but that growth is slowing. Population climbed 3.9 per cent from 2013 to 2014, adding 1,287 people for a total 34,677, according to B.C. Stats. The previous two years saw increases of 5.5 per cent and 4.0 per cent.

 

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