The Blue Mountains is moving forward with a plan to remove a number of exemptions and credits in its development charges bylaw.
At its committee of the whole meeting on Sept. 11, The Blue Mountains council approved a report from Sam Dinsmore, acting director of finance/treasurer, that called for the removal of all non-statutory credits and exemptions from the town’s development charges bylaw.
In April 2024 the town will update its the development charges bylaw and Dinsmore said now is the time to make the change. He said the intention is to to move the exemptions/credits into the town’s Community Improvement Plan.
“There will still be a mechanism to access development charges relief. It’s just not baked into your development charges bylaw,” Dinsmore said.
Dinsmore said some of the exemptions/credits had never been granted by the town, while others were becoming obsolete/irrelevant due to the changes made by the provincial government through Bill 23.
The exemptions/credits to be removed from the bylaw are:
- Land, building or structures for agricultural use which do not receive municipal sanitary sewer or water supply services – given 15 times since 2019.
- Accessory apartments (exempt through Bill 23) – not used under the current bylaw.
- Non-residential developments smaller than 232 m2 – not used under the current bylaw.
- Fire DC if a sprinkler system was installed but not required under the Ontario Building Code – not used under the current bylaw.
- Reduction of DCs from “single/semi” category to “other multiples/hotels” if the new unit is less than 115m2 – not used under the current bylaw.
Members of council were supportive of the recommendation and the report was approved in a 6-0 vote (Mayor Andrea Matrosovs was absent).
“It gives us more flexibility to do what’s necessary locally,” said Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon.
