Peachland increases DCCs

Published: January 17, 2009 Kelowna Capital News:

At a time when the real estate market is flooded with homes for sale and prices are edging downward, it’s about to get a whole lot more expensive to build a new home in Peachland. Development cost charges—amounts levied on new development, are set to increase by 75 per cent after Peachland council gave final approval Tuesday to a new DCC bylaw. The previous council gave the first three readings to the new bylaw but it was left to the incoming council to give final approval and set the new, higher rates in motion.

Rates under the new bylaw will see the following changes:

• Single family DCCs increasing by $5,781 from $7,749 to $13,530;

• Multi-family DCCs increasing by $4,784 from $5,678 to $10,462;

• Commercial DCCs decreasing by $25.92 per square metre from $58 to $32.08.

“I find the changes are somewhat dramatic,” said Coun. Peter Schierbeck, who wanted to know how the new charges would stack up in comparison to other Okanagan municipalities. DCC rates in other municipalities do not necessarily affect what is done in Peachland, said Coun. Terry Condon, who noted the new DCC rates put Peachland in a competitive position with other communities. Schierbeck pointed out that while residential rates are increasing drastically, commercial rates are going down with the new scheme. Condon said commercial rates were specifically addressed so that hopefully it would spawn some commercial activity in the future. Fielding noted the new DCC rates, according to Urban Systems, put Peachland at about the middle of the pack when it comes to rates throughout the Okanagan.The Peachland rates do not include a $3,512 DCC charged by CORD for sanitary treatment but include a new DCC for a future water treatment plant.