Senior’s development denied refund

By Jennifer Smith - Vernon Morning Star - May 18, 2008

A senior’s care facility hoping to cash in on more than $100,000 in refunds is out of luck. Coldstream Meadows Retirement Community, located on Mackie Drive in Coldstream, had made a refund request for development cost charges to Greater Vernon Services. The development had paid DCCs for water under residential classification and paid parkland DCCs under the dwelling unit classification. Both of these classifications cost substantially more than what the developer is requesting he be charged. For water DCCs the residential rate is $1,857 per multi-family unit, while institutional DCCs are $8.88 per square meter. If the development had been charged under institutional the total water DCC charge would have been $41,000 less. Likewise, parks DCCs are charged at a rate of $2,844 per dwelling unit, whereas if the development was charged under the congregate care facility classification, the total fees would have been reduced by $68,000. The Greater Vernon Services Committee, with opposition from director Stan Field, agreed that no refunds shall be made. The reasoning comes from the congregate care definition which the particular development phase falls under.

Coldstream Meadows is based on the idea of aging in-place, therefore there are several phases of the community. The portions seeking DCC refunds are The Cottages and The Views. The Cottages are eight units of independent living, with assisted living services (medial assistance) provided and access for full meal service. The Views is a 33-unit apartment-style building. The units are independent but residents are provided the option of full meal service served in the commercial service areas and access to medical assistance. Although the DCCs are charged through GVSC, because the development is located in Coldstream, it falls under Coldstream’s classification (which does not allow for the cheaper DCC charges). “This particular development does not fit the definition,” said Catherine Lord, Coldstream’s director of financial administration. “The actual definition of congregate care differs from municipality to municipality.” While the next phase of development at Coldstream Meadows will likely fall under the congregate care definition, these do not as they are self-contained units, said Lord.