Township of Spallumcheen takes cash in lieu of land

by Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star Spallumcheen posted Nov 13, 2016 at 6:00 AM— updated Nov 13, 2016 at 7:13 AM
A subdivision application in the Township of Spallumcheen won’t include parkland. Instead, council voted unanimously on a staff recommendation to receive five per cent cash in lieu of parkland dedication from an application by Frank Poirier to subdivide his Page Road property into five parcels. Councillors Christine Fraser ands Todd York were absent from the meeting. The section of provision of park land in the Local Government Act outlines the requirements related. Generally, a landowner is required prior to subdivision approval to provide, without compensation, park land in a location, and an amount not to exceed five per cent of the land proposed for subdivision. It’s the local government’s choice to accept land or cash in lieu if it has an official community plan that includes park policies. Chief administrative officer Corey Paiement said the township and the applicant both agreed to the five per cent cash in lieu. “The subject property is 6.06 hectares,” said Paiement in a report to council. “The five per cent park land dedication would be 0.303 hectares. “A park land dedication of this size and this location would not provide functional park land.” The township used the 2015 B.C. Land Assessment value for the land, which saved Spallumcheen and the applicant paying for an appraiser. The land is valued at $462,402. Five per cent of that price is $23,120.