Amenity Cost Charges

ACCs are:

• One-time fees used to help communities recover the costs of off-site amenities needed for growth
• Based on the principle of cost-sharing, ensuring new development pays its share of growth-related amenities
• A provincially regulated development finance tool

• • Part 14, Division 19.1 of the Local Government Act (LGA)
  • New legislation (Bill 46) now allows a wider scope of services and amenities (November 2023)
  • ACC Best Practices Guide (April 2025; updated January 2026)

The new ACC program will largely replace the City’s existing Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) program. Density bonus provisions, set out in Port Moody’s Zoning Bylaw, will remain as an option to help secure community amenities. However, the amenities must be different than those secured through the ACC program. The City is in the process of updating its density bonus provisions to align with the proposed ACC program.

As the City grows, new or upgraded amenities are needed to serve population growth and meet community needs. ACCs are a transparent financial tool that ensures both existing residents and new development contribute fairly and equitably to the implementation of growth-driven community amenities.

Legislation sets out what ACCs may, and may not, be used for. Eligible and ineligible projects are listed below, along with exemptions.

The City will consider using funds collected through the ACC program for the proposed capital projects listed below (with budgetary cost estimates). The City anticipates these projects will be implemented over the next 25 years.  The list of projects is reviewed each time the ACC program is updated every five years.

• Kyle Centre Redevelopment ($42 million)
• Aquatic centre development ($102 million)
• Library and community branch library ($132.5 million)
• Rocky Point Park: new skatepark/youth zone, kayak storage shed and float improvements, new spray park ($2.2 million)
• Old Orchard Park: picnic amenity upgrades ($200,000)
• Cedarwood Park: new spray park and sport court ($1.04 million)

ACCs must be paid by permit applicants at either:

• Subdivision approval for low-density residential development sites, or
• At building permit issuance for medium- and high-density residential uses, commercial, industrial, and institutional development

Payment by installments:

• Effective January 1, 2026, updated regulations provide greater flexibility for payment of DCCs and ACCs by instalment
• Applies to ACCs over $50,000
• Qualified developers and homebuilders will be able to:
  • Use on-demand surety bonds province-wide
  • Pay 25% of ACC charges at permit approval and pay remaining 75% at the earlier of occupancy or 4 years

Low-density residential: A development in the form of a single-detached residential, which may contain one secondary suite.

Medium-density residential: A multi-unit residential development. Forms of development include semi-detached residential, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, accessory dwelling units, and apartments to a maximum of six dwelling units.

High-density residential: Multi-unit residential development in the form of apartment buildings with greater than six dwelling units.

Note: Commercial, industrial, and institutional uses are aligned with the Zoning Bylaw.

Here are the steps for calculating ACCs:

1. Technical inputs 

Growth – Estimate residential and non-residential growth, and where it is expected to occur. Growth assumptions are based on the Official Community Plan.

Capital costs and timing – Identify costs and timing of projects needed to support growth. Capital projects are based on the City’s master plans.

Benefit allocation – Determine the extent to which each project benefits growth.

Draft rates – Calculate the draft ACC rates.

2. Policy input 

Municipal Assist Factor – Council determines how much to assist development (required to be between 1% and 99%).

3. Technical inputs 

Feasibility testing – Assess the impact of charges on development viability.

Consult – Engage with the public, developers, and other parties affected by the development of an ACC bylaw.

4. Policy input

Bylaw adoption – Council adopts the ACC Bylaw (BC government approval is not required).

New rates apply upon bylaw adoption. Precursor or in-stream applications are indefinitely exempt from the initial ACC bylaw and applicants will not pay ACCs until the City passes an amended ACC bylaw in future.

Once the initial ACC bylaw is amended, in-stream applications are protected under the previous rates (i.e., the rates in the initial ACC bylaw) as follows:

An application is complete when:

• it has been received by the City with all required information provided
• permit fees have been paid

• Technical Work and Drafting of Staff Report – February/March 2026
• Draft ACC Rates Presented to Council* – March 2026
• Engagement with Public, Developers, and Other Affected Parties – April/May 2026
• Council Considers Engagement Results and Proposed ACC Bylaw – June 2026
• Council Considers Adoption of ACC Bylaw – Summer/fall 2026

*The proposed ACC program was presented to Council at the City Initiatives and Planning Committee Meeting on March 31, 2026. Council approved proceeding to public engagement with the program as proposed in the March 31 staff report (agenda item 4.3). A proposed update to the current Development Cost Charges (DCC) program was also included in the staff report; Council referred this update back to staff for further consideration before decision-making. DCCs are a provincially regulated method to ensure new developments share the cost of new infrastructure – such as roads, water, sanitary and stormwater systems, or parkland acquisition/enhancement – in areas experiencing growth.