Development charges bylaw passes

After months of deferrals and debate, Niagara councillors have approved a new development charges bylaw — replacing a flawed policy that was previously approved in July.

And although the bylaw was amended to include a reference to an industrial development charges grant program, a few additional changes that Welland Mayor Frank Campion lobbied for were not supported at Thursday night’s meeting.

“I think the discussion around that has been, that industry would like the security of knowing” that the grant program would be in place throughout five years that the bylaw would be in effect, said Niagara Falls Coun. Selina Volpatti, while suggesting the amendment to the bylaw.

Volpatti said she asked regional staff to develop the amendment, based on requests that have been made by the City of Welland hoping to address concerns that the bylaw would have hampered economic development efforts, particularly in south Niagara communities.

CAO Carmen D’Angelo said the bylaw amendment was reviewed by regional staff, as well by representatives from Welland, and “we believe it addresses the concerns that Welland had.”

Although Campion said he appreciates the co- operation of regional staff regarding industrial development charges, he remains concerned about increases for apartment building units as well as brownfield developments. Neither of those amendments were approved by councillors.

“We need to have reasons for people to build multi- residential buildings,” Campion said, regarding development charges for apartments. “It’s important for us to meet our density target. If we don’t achieve that, we’re going to have difficulty expanding the urban boundary.”

He said increasing development charges for apartment units will hinder student housing as well as affordable housing for seniors, and recommended holding the charges to the $ 4,651 previously charged.

St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik agreed with Campion’s amendment, saying it is the type of incentive the region should be creating. Despite the potential cost associated with the amendment, Sendzik said “we want more apartment buildings in our community.”

Apartment buildings he added, “generate a lot more tax revenue than houses and town houses, so we should be creating this type of incentive program here. It’s about creating density and it is about vertical growth, not horizontal growth.”