District of Central Saanich Community Amenity Contributions Policy

Council Policy

Effective Date: November 6, 2017 POLICY NO. 03.Fin File No: 340/2017 SUBJECT: COMMUNITY AMENITY CONTRIBUTIONS Category: Planning

PURPOSE:

To establish consistent, transparent Community Amenity Contribution targets that will guide the District’s approach to seeking and allocating community benefits in association with zoning approvals for changes in land use and/or density, in order to improve the land development approvals process. To provide incentive for the provision of non-market and moderate market rental housing.

APPLICATION:

This policy applies to applicants wishing to rezone properties in Central Saanich.

DEFINITIONS:

“Community Benefit” refers to the overall contribution that a new development could make to the community – i.e., how well a proposal responds to OCP policies, and contributes to enhancing community livability by providing basic services, mitigation actions, and public amenities.

“Community Amenity” is a feature that improves the quality of life in the community, over and above the basic development; and may fall within a broad range of categories including: public realm enhancements, arts and cultural facilities, public art, parks and environment, heritage conservation, greater housing choice, and adaptable design features, child care facilities, and similar features or facilities. A public amenity contribution is one type of community benefit from new development.

POLICY

1. New development should make a fair contribution to new community amenities, affordable housing, and other community needs, in order to meet the needs of a growing community and to address some of the impacts of growth.

2. The District will set its targets for Community Amenity Contributions such that the cost implications for new development will be reasonable. These targets will be revised from time to time, based on changing community needs, changing priorities, and changing market conditions.

3. The District will consider proposed Community Amenity Contributions on a site-by-site basis during the rezoning process. When considering these proposed contributions, the District will seek to obtain meaningful contributions to community amenities while ensuring that land owners still have sufficient incentive to make land available in the redevelopment market and developers have sufficient incentive to seek changes in use or density.

4. Amenity contributions shall be payable prior to final adoption of a rezoning bylaw or with a binding commitment of the developer to pay at the same time a development cost charge is payable i.e. at time of subdivision, issuance of building permit or as determined via Phased Development Agreement.

5. Contributions will be considered separate from any other contributions that are made as part of the rezoning process or the provision of required works that benefit the general community.

6. Community Amenity Contribution proposals will be reviewed by staff and reported to Council during the development application process.

7. Community Amenity Contributions should be a cash payment in lieu unless inclusion of a specific community amenity is mutually agreed with the District. Specific amenities approved by the District will be valued by the District and considered in context with the amenity contributions targets and overall development proposal during the application review process.

8. In cases where the District obtains cash-in-lieu Community Amenity Contributions, such funds will be deposited in specific reserve accounts for affordable/supportive housing and general amenity purposes.

9. Amenity Contribution Target Levels: a. Affordable/Supportive Housing Community Amenity - $2,000 per unit/lot or equivalent square metre total floor area commercial/industrial/institutional. b. General Community Amenity - $5,500 per unit/lot or equivalent square metre total floor area commercial/industrial/institutional.

10. Consideration will be given to proposed amenity contributions at lower levels where the development application includes Non-Market (Red to Green) and moderate income (light blue) market rental housing components as defined in the Saanich Peninsula Housing Needs Assessment Report – August 2016, Community Social Planning Council.

11. Affordable or Supportive Housing Amenity Fund:

The Affordable or Supportive Housing Amenity Fund is to assist in the provision of affordable and supportive housing through partnerships with nonprofit housing agencies. This is based on Central Saanich OCP - Affordable, Rental and Special Needs Policy 4 which states “In new attached residential or mixed-use residential/commercial development, Central Saanich will encourage the provision of at least 10% of dwelling units as affordable housing. Ideally this would be in the form of rental housing, or other alternative tenure models. Cash in lieu of the provision of affordable housing units for inclusion into a District Affordable Housing Fund may be considered.”

12. Community Amenity Fund:

The Community Amenity Fund is to assist in the provision of the following amenities: a. Active or Alternate Transportation: Pedestrian, bicycling, Level 2 or 3 electrical charging stations, car shares and transit infrastructure. b. Parks and Recreation: Boat Ramps, Docks, Interpretative and informational kiosks and signs, parking improvements and park facilities. c. Heritage and Culture: Heritage conservation initiatives, museum and archive development and cultural facilities d. Environment: Integrated Stormwater Management Initiatives, Stream, Shoreline or Sensitive Ecosystem Rehabilitation. e. Agriculture: Farmland acquisition, improvement or incubator farms.