Development Cost Charges (DCC)

For Single Family and Laneway Housing developments where DCCs are payable at subdivision, the Development Cost Charge rates in previous Bylaw 1801 will apply if a complete subdivision application was received before January 14, 2020.

A complete application is:

• application form has been completed (submitted prior to January 14, 2020)
• application fees have been paid in full (submitted prior to January 14, 2020)
• all supporting documentation necessary to make the application complete has been submitted to the City (submitted prior to January 14, 2020).

In addition, the Development Cost Charge rates in previous Bylaw 1801 will apply if all of the following conditions are met on or before January 14, 2021:

• the required zoning bylaw has been adopted
• all conditions prior to the approval of the subdivision established by the Approving Officer have been completed (including without limitation, any required servicing agreements have been fully executed and any required statutory rights of way, Section 219 covenants, access easements, road dedications and lot consolidations are fully registered in the Land Title Office)

For Multifamily, Institutional, Commercial and Industrial developments where DCC is payable at the issuance of building permit, the Development Cost Charge rates in previous Bylaw 1801 will apply if a complete precursor application (one of building permit application, development permit application, rezoning application or subdivision application) leading to the building permit issuance was received before January 14, 2020 (before the adoption of DCC Bylaw 3054). A complete application is:

• precursor application form has been completed
• precursor application fees have been paid in full
• all supporting documentation necessary to make the precursor application complete has been submitted to the City.

In addition to the above requirements, all of the following conditions which apply to the precursor application must also be met on or before January 14, 2021:

• the required zoning bylaw has been adopted
• required development permit(s) have been issued
• all required letters of assurance have been submitted
• all required signed and sealed drawings have been submitted
• all equivalency or alternate solution reports have been signed, sealed and delivered and accepted by the Senior Manager of Building Approvals
• any required geotechnical reports, Section 219 covenants, letters of credit and proof of delivery of notice to potentially affected adjacent landowners have been completed and submitted
• any required legal agreements are completed and executed and, if applicable, fully registered in the Land Title Office
• all fees, Development Cost Charges and levies have been paid or secured,
• all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager of Building Approvals, such that the building permit can be processed and issued without further submission from the applicant.

Development Cost Charges (DCCs) are a method of fairly and equitably distributing growth-related infrastructure costs to developers. These growth-related infrastructure costs can include: upgrading our community’s transportation systems; utilities such as water, sanitary, and storm networks; and parkland acquisition and improvement to meet the needs of population growth. DCCs offset only a portion of the growth-related infrastructure costs; the City contributes its share towards each project.

Port Moody adopted our most recent Official Community Plan (OCP) in October 2014 which considered further potential development outside of the 286 and 215A areas. This potential development would require infrastructure improvements to the extent that changes to the DCC Bylaw would be necessary.

Council adopted further amendments to the OCP in 2017 and 2018 that provided additional insight regarding potential future DCC-applicable projects related to roads, drainage, sewers, water, and parkland. With these OCP amendments, the timing for the current review of our DCC Bylaw is appropriate and consistent with provincial guidelines.

Updates to DCC bylaws are conducted based on the Government of B.C.’s Development Cost Charge Best Practices Guide and require provincial approval. In addition, any municipal bylaw amendment must follow a statutory process. Complying with both of these requirements involves a lengthy and comprehensive process.

After considering feedback from developers, planners, builders, and the general public, Council gives the draft bylaw three readings. The bylaw and supporting documents are then forwarded to the provincial government for approval before Council adopts the final bylaw.